Obsessed
by Kevyncito
Summary: This is the story as if Bella never existed, Jasper was the lonely one, and a new kid comes to town. This story is SLASH. Based on Twilight. Introduces new character.
1. Vanishing Act

Chapter 1: Vanishing Act

"…Goodbye Sun…" I sighed looking out my window at the sky and clouds. That's about all I was going so miss about the south. Living in Louisiana just wasn't meant for me.

I'm moving to Forks, Washington… Sigh. Couldn't my dad think of a more normal place to live? Who was I kidding? Of course not. It was probably right up his alley. Steven Michaels never seemed to settle for the norm, but the good part is that he was probably the coolest parent alive. My mom Nikki on the other hand was always too up-tight and controlling. I'm ashamed to say that I was kind of glad to be getting away from her.

Ever since she started dating this new guy John, I've felt the need to get away. It wasn't that I didn't like him or anything; it was just a disgusting concept to behold.

"Are you ready?" My mom yelled from the living room.

"Yes ma'am," I said, right behind her.

"Oh! Devin! Where'd you come from?"

"My room?"

She glared at me and then asked, "Ready?"

I sighed and proceeded to put my suitcase into the back of her van. We drove to the airport, said our goodbyes and I boarded my plane.

* * *

After I landed in Forks, I was filled with sheer horror as my dad pulled up in a rusty green pickup truck.

"Dad, you don't have a truck…" I said in a sort of stupor.

"Hey kiddo! Have a nice flight?"

"It was fine but why are you dr-"

"It's not mine by the way, it's yours!" He was far too excited about this. At this point my mind was racing. I didn't want to stand out more than I had to, and driving a green truck wasn't going to help.

"Wh –What?" I stammered.

"Like it?" he asked

"It's Green!"

"I Know! It's still your favorite color isn't it?"

"Y-yes, b-but why did you get me a green truck dad? Doesn't that seem a bit…I don't know, weird to you?"

"Get in and I'll explain it to you on the way home." He said ignoring my question.

"Okay?" I muttered wearily.

"So I saw it on the side of the road while I was on the reservation and thought it would be perfect for you.

"I'm surprised that this thing even works! How old is it?!"

He chuckled. It's not that old and it's in great condition. All I need to do is fix the brakes, but they should be fine for a while."

"Oh well, I guess I'm stuck with it now," I sighed.

Once we got home I unpacked all of my stuff in the extra room and looked around. The room wasn't that big, but it wasn't small either. Thanks to my mom there was a computer sitting on a desk in the corner. I'd have to remember to test the internet connection tomorrow. I was exhausted and fell back on my bed, looking at the ceiling.

"Knock Knock"

"If you must…"

"Devin are you still upset about the truck?"

"No, I've gotten over that. I'm dreading the idea of school in the morning."

"Oh, that's what I came to talk to you about. Do you need me to be here when you get ready to go?"

"Dad, I'm sixteen. I think I can handle getting ready and driving two minutes to get to school alone."

"Good, I've got to be at the station early."

"Right Mr. Police Chief"

He closed the door and went back downstairs to watch TV. At this point I wasn't feeling any remorse for being a bitch. I just wanted sleep. I needed to be ready for a whole lot of stares and whispers about the "new kid in town". I was feeling nauseous already. I got up to take my shower, then went to bed and fell into darkness.

* * *

I pulled into the parking lot and noticed that I wasn't the only one with an old and rusty car. I parked in an empty space, walked up to the office, took a deep breathe and went in. Sitting behind a counter was a motherly looking brunette woman doing a crossword puzzle.

"Can I help you?" she asked without looking up.

"I'm Devin Michaels, I'm a new student here," I informed her. She looked up and smiled with an expression that said "I already know who you are". Ugh. Adults and their need to talk about their lives…She probably wasn't the only person currently aware of my existence…thanks dad.

"Here's your schedule, and have all of your teachers sign this."

"Thank you," I said looking down at the paper she handed me. She continued doing her crossword so I assumed I was free to go. I turned and slowly walked out of the office still looking at the schedule. My first class was English.

I tentatively walked through the cloud of talking teens and into the classroom marked 103. I walked up to a tall slightly balding man who I assumed to be the teacher. It was five minutes before the bell so I was the only one in class.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Mason, you must be Devin."

"Err, yes," I replied. Goodness! Apparently word spreads fast in small towns.

"I'm your English teacher, and here is your reading list. " He handed me a slip of paper. "The bell is about to ring which means you need a seat. There's an empty seat third from the left in the back row."

Seconds after he said this, the bell rang and students began filing into class. Somehow they all seemed to glance at me a few dozen times before taking a seat. The girl sitting next to me kindly and quietly introduced herself as Angela, and she didn't say much for the rest of the period. She had light brown hair and light brown eyes and seemed nice enough. I sat through English slightly bored with things I had already covered back at home.

Enduring countless stares and whispers, I got through both Trig, and Spanish. In Spanish, a particularly talkative blonde, named Jessica, who basically forced her friendship upon me and decided that I would be sitting with her and her friends at lunch.

I apprehensively walked into the lunch room and quickly spotted my newfound "friend".

"Everyone, this is Devin Michaels. He just moved here from Louisiana," She said taking pride in the fact that she knew the new guy. The five or six people at the table greeted me and I was introduced to Mike, Angela, Eric, and Lauren. The others names I quickly forgot. The over talkative girl seemed to be the queen of gossip at Forks High, which would explain her needing to know me. I was just about to start eating when the cafeteria doors opened.

Suddenly, five of the most beautiful people I had ever seen in my life walked into the cafeteria.

"Who are _they_?"

"Ah, you've seen the Cullens. The boys are Emmet, Edward, and Jasper," she said looking at them in admiration. "The short one's name is Alice and the one who thinks she's on a runway is Rosalie."

They all sat down at the farthest table to the back and all began staring off as if in deep thought. The one named Rosalie was tall, and blonde and breathtakingly beautiful. The one named Alice was short and small with black spiky hair. Then there were three of the most beautiful men I had ever se-One of the boys was staring at me with a look of sheer horror written on his angelic face. He was probably the youngest and had a cute boyish face. His hair was messy, yet neat and honey blonde…sigh. I was frozen. Both our eyes were wide in alarm. After a second I saw the one named Alice lean over and say something to him. After a few seconds, I managed to pull my gaze away from his.

"Tell me more about…them," I said to Jessica.

"That's Emmet," she said pointing to a muscular boy with beautiful dark wavy curls. "That's Edward," she said pointing to the more slender boy with a strange reddish-brown tint to his hair and looked about the same age as the other one (probably seniors).

"The short one, Alice is dating Edward and Emmet is with Rosalie, her twin brother Jasper is the only single one…" I noticed a bitter edge to her words. "…I don't know much about them except that Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them all and the twins are related to Mrs. Cullen somehow. They all _live _together and they're all taken except Jasper," she sighed.

Jasper…He was the one who looked at me like I was the ghost that ate Casper…

"Wow, they're beautiful," I said to keep the conversation rolling.

"Yeah, they moved here from California a few years ago, I don't know why they're so pale though…"

I took another look at them. They all looked completely unrelated, yet all were really pale, and seemed to have light bruises under their eyes that didn't take away from their beauty. Then they all got up in perfect synchronization and walked towards the cafeteria exit. Just before walking out the bronze haired boy glared at me. It was possibly the most beautiful expression I had ever seen, even if it was a glare…But what had I done to him!?

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and Angela kindly reminded me that we had Biology II together. There was a definite contrast between her and Jessica. She never felt the need to waste oxygen with unnecessary talk.

Once we got to class, Angela went to sit next to her lab partner and I noticed that the only person in the class without a partner was…him. I gave the teacher, Mr. Banner, the slip he needed to sign and tentatively went to take my seat. Suddenly he froze. He seemed to be made of stone. I sat down, my heart racing faster than it ever had in my life, and he suddenly got up and briskly walked to the front of the room.

"Mr. Banner, I'm not feeling very well and I think I may need to see the nurse," he said with an urgent tone to his voice.

"Okay, just make sure to get your notes from your partner next class," Mr. Banner replied, but Jasper was already out of the room.

I stared blankly at the doorway. This was the second time that Jasper kid saw me and then disappeared like that…that was what happened in the lunch room right? No, I'm just being paranoid….

I sat through the rest of biology barely aware of the lesson being taught around me. The bell rang and I gathered my things to leave.

"Hey Dev, you need help finding your next class?" a vaguely familiar voice asked.

"I prefer Devin." I corrected him politely.

"Sorry, I'm Mike by the way." He said with a friendly smile. Mike had bright blue eyes, a cute boyish face, and meticulously perfect hair.

"I think I can manage finding the gym on my own." I joked.

"That's my next class too! C'mon, let's go." He said enthusiastically. I walked with him to the gym at a pace that was a tad bit slower than I would have liked. He talked most of the time, asking a few questions in the process. I think I remember him from my English class but I wasn't sure.

Once we got to the gym he asked, "So how was your first day with Mr. Banner?"

"Fine I guess, I think it would have been better if I had a lab partner."

"Yeah, it was weird how Jasper ran out. I've never seen any of the Cullens get sick before, probably because their dad is a doctor, but I don't know."

So maybe I did scare him off. What about me could he hate so much that he had to leave class? A crowded cafeteria even? Maybe he just wasn't feeling well and needed to go throw up or something. I was just overreacting.

"Oh well," Mike said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, doesn't matter," I said, more to myself than to Mike.

The gym teacher told me that I didn't have to dress out for class, so I just sat in the bleachers and watched. They played volleyball, which I was pretty okay at. Mike on the other hand was amazing, he never seemed to lose control of the ball and his team just relaxed and let him do most of the work.

Finally, Gym was over and I was done for the day. I walked up to the office to return my signature slip. I walked in and chills ran from the top of my head, all the way down to my toes. There he was, leaning over the counter talking to the receptionist. He seemed to be negotiating his schedule. He looked pretty healthy to me…aside from the extremely pale complexion that he and his non-related siblings seemed to share…

"I'll be with you in a second, you can have a seat." The receptionist told me politely. I nodded and turned to take a seat.

"Never mind." I heard him say hastily as he turned and quickly strode toward the door. He stopped and looked at me as if he were considering something, then left.

I walked up to the desk and handed the lady my slip.

"So how did you like Forks High so far?"

What was that about?! This was creepy! Jasper is officially creepy! Hot, or not!

"Hello? Anyone home?" the receptionist said.

"Oh, sorry, it's fine. The people here are really friendly."

"You don't sound so sure," she said sounding skeptical.

"I am," I lied, and flashed a quick smile.

I walked back out to the parking lot. I noticed all of the Cullens standing around a shiny silver Volvo, except Jasper. Then I noticed him sitting in the back seat of the Volvo with his head in his lap. The others seemed to be arguing at a fast pace. Edward turned and glared at me. I stumbled, and hastened my walk to my truck. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Rosalie roll her eyes in my direction and Alice sigh.

I quickly started the car and hurried out of the parking lot, making sure not to run over any students. I pulled into my driveway and just sat there dazed. After a minute or two, I noticed my eyes were watering. What did I do to them?! And why did I care so much?!


	2. Huh?

Chapter 2: Huh?

The next day did nothing for my self esteem. It was raining, and while I didn't mind the rain, I wanted it to go away…at least for today…

In English I sat next to Angela, and mike sat next to me. Angela walked and talked with me on the way to my next class. Even though it was my second day, I was beginning to feel more at home here in Forks. At lunch I sat with the same group consisting of mike, Jessica, Angela and the others, whose names were more familiar, yet not committed to memory yet. I glanced across the lunch room and noticed that there were only three Cullens at their table today. The first missing one you can probably guess, but the other was the short one Alice.

The rest of the day went according t plan. In biology, Mike convinced Mr. Banner to let me work with him and Jessica. Then in P.E., I played volleyball against Mike's team and the game got ended early due to Lauren spiking one of the other students in the head.

After gym, I walked to my truck and cautiously glanced over towards the Cullens. No glares today; they didn't even look in my direction.

I got home and noticed that Steven wasn't home. I remembered that he wasn't very creative in the kitchen, and unless I wanted to eat the same thing week after week, I was going to have to intervene. When I mentioned this to him yesterday, he left me some money to go grocery shopping.

I got back from the grocery store and began to make spaghetti. An hour later, Steven got home.

"Devin?"

"Of Course" I'm in the kitchen." I yelled.

"Hey kiddo," He said, now joining me in the kitchen.

"Hey dad, dinner's ready." I sat the food down at the table and we both sat down.

"So how was your second day?" He asked.

"Better than the first."

"Made any friends?"

"Yeah, there's Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Angela Webber, and a few others."

"Yeah, I know their parents. They're pretty good people, but you might want to watch out for Jessica, I hear she's a bit of a gossip." Of course my dad would know the inner workings at my school. "So any girls caught your eye?"

Mental Cringe…Awkward question…

"Umm…no"

"Okay, I hear there's a dance coming up, so you might get asked, I hear its girl-choice."

"I hope not," I muttered, too low for him to hear.

After dinner I went up to my room to check my email. My mom had already sent two…

_Good morning, how is Forks? I don't know how you stand the constant cloud cover? I'd go mad…Anyways, how's school going? Made any friends? How are classes going? Things were great. Just wanted to see how things were going…_

_Love, _

_Mom_

The second one was shorter.

_Devin, why haven't you emailed me back yet? I can call if email is too hard for you to keep up?_

_Love, _

_Mom_

I decided to email her back before she died of anticipation.

_Hey mom, everything's good here. I'm liking Forks way more than I thought I would. School is fine. I've made a few friends, and everyone seems really nice._

She couldn't hear uncertainty in an email right?

_Classes are going well. I'm not going to check my email daily, but I will try to email soon. _

_Love, _

_Devin_

I got to thinking and I decided to go downstairs. My dad was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"Dad, do you know the Cullens?"

"Dr. Cullen's family? Of course."

"The kids are…" I was looking for the right word. "…kind of weird."

He was angry.

"Those kids haven't done anything to hurt anyone. Just because they keep to themselves, people think they're weird. Dr. Cullen is probably one of the best doctors in America, and while he could be in New York or somewhere else, he chooses to live here. We're lucky to have them here."

_Whoa…didn't expect that…time to save the situation…_

"No, I mean, they seem okay, I was just saying, they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive."

_Hopefully that was good enough_

"Yeah, you should see the doctor and his wife. They look like they stepped right out of a movie." He seemed to have calmed down.

We continued talking for a little while, and then I returned to my room and did my homework before going to bed.

* * *

The rest of the week was boring. I grew more and more accustomed to the daily routine. I remembered everyone's names and most of the stares died down. Alice and Jasper never came back. Maybe I wanted to see if he would run away again…

Most of the talk that week was about Mike planning a trip to the beach in La Push in two weeks. I agreed to go because I loved beaches and bonfires so there was no reason for me not to go.

I got used to working with Jessica and Mike in biology. Jasper wasn't coming back. Hopefully he would be "sick" for a long time. With each day that passed, it became easier to believe that it had nothing to do with Jasper's vanishing act. After all, he wouldn't stop going to school because of me.

The weekend was good because my dad worked most of the weekend and I had the house to myself all day. I finished all of my homework, sent my mom an email and even managed to clean a little before Sunday night.

* * *

Monday morning followed the usual path, English with Mike and Angela, etc, etc…Typical school ensued…until lunch.

We were all sitting at the lunch table when Angela said, "Oh, all the Cullens are here today."

"…What?" I said, slightly startled. I had grown accustomed to not even thinking about the Cullens. I turned my gaze in their direction unexpectedly meeting eyes with Jasper. I quickly looked away.

"Yeah, I can tell how _interested _you are in them." Angela said thoughtfully.

"What? I could care less about the Cullens…" I said defensively.

"Devin, don't insult my intelligence. You look over there like every day."

_Did I really? I don't think I did…_"That's because I kind of need a lab partner." I told her. It sounded like a sad excuse.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. I didn't really know if I wanted to go to biology or not…

_What's the worst that could happen? _I told myself.

I walked into Mr. Banner's class and went to my lab station. Jasper wasn't there…maybe he went home early or something. Maybe he had gotten his schedule changed after all…

Apparently not…

Jasper walked in the class looking unusually calm. He walked so smooth and gracefully. I was instantly jealous. He moved his chair as far away from me as possible and angled it in my direction.

"Hello"

"Huh?" I said, slightly dazed by the cool sound to his voice, and the fact that he was actually speaking to me.

"We were never formally introduced. Hi, I'm Jasper Hale."

"Umm…Hi, I'm Devin Michaels."

"Nice to meet you Devin."

"Er…yeah, nice to meet you too Jasper." I mumbled.

Luckily Mr. Banner decided to start class at this precise moment. We were working on the cell cycle, which luckily I had already learned. The assignment was for us to use the microphone to identify the different phases of the cycle.

"Shall we get started then?" Jasper asked his voice liquid.

"Sure." I replied. I picked up the first slide.

"Anaphase." I said confidently.

"May I?" He said politely, holding out his hand out for the slide.

Our hands brushed together as I handed him the slide. His hand was ice cold. He quickly pulled it back. He looked at the slide, and then neatly wrote down anaphase.

He picked up another slide, and then said, "Prophase."

"May I?" I asked.

He handed me the slide, this time making sure that not to make contact.

"Okay." I said. He was right.

He wrote down prophase in his ever so neat handwriting. The rest of the assignment went on, wordlessly following the same pattern. We finished before all of the other couples.

An awkward silence fell upon us. Something was different about him today. He was looking away, so I felt it safe to look at him.

His gorgeous hair was the same. His skin was the same pale shade. His eyes were the sa-His eyes were what were different.

"Are you wearing contacts?" I asked him conversationally.

"No." he replied simply.

I could have sworn that every time we locked eyes were a grayish black. Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe, just maybe, I was paying too much attention to Jasper Hale.

Mr. Banner came to our table, probably wondering why we weren't working. He silently looked over our work and then eyed Jasper.

"I hope you let Devin do some of the work. It really isn't fair to him if you do everything."

Jasper sighed. I looked at him, but he didn't return my stare. I sighed too, feeling bored.

"Devin actually did most of the work"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I already learned this."

"Were you taking an honors course before you came to Forks?"

"Yeah," I said. I felt really…serene, like I was talking to a peer rather than an adult.

"Well, I guess its good you got paired with the smartest student in my class." He walked off to help some other students. I put my head down, fully prepared to take a short nap.

"So how are you liking Forks?"

_I swear, if one more person asks me that…_"Its fine, I've been there for a while you know. I've pretty much gotten used to it here."

"Oh…" He sounded kind of hurt. I decided to sound a little nicer.

"It's very green and most of the people seem really nice."

"If you don't mind my asking. Why did you move here?"

"My mom got a boyfriend and it's just a tad bit awkward…" He was looking straight ahead, his face looked so smooth. I wanted to touch it…Jasper was looking at me again, this time out of the corner of his eyes while he still faced forward.

"Umm…so…Are you happy you moved here?"

"Moderately. My dad is much easier to live with." _Why did I feel the need to open up to him? Maybe it was his looks…_

All of a sudden, I felt a strong lust for something. It wasn't sexual…I didn't know what it was…that was the weird part. My mouth watered. I felt lightheaded. Jasper raised his hand.

"Mr. Banner, May I be excused?"

"Where do you need to go?"

"The bathroom sir, it's urgent." His tone was serious. A few girls giggled.

"Sure Jasper."" Mr. Banner said, sounding slightly embarrassed for the beautiful blonde. Jasper, unaffected, walked swiftly from the room.

As usual, I stared after him. _Was it me?_ No. _Just because someone has to go urgently to the bathroom doesn't mean that you scared them off. Stop being paranoid._

A few minutes later, Jasper returned to class. He pushed his chair a few more inches away from me as he sat down.

_This is getting annoying_

"So, Devin, tell me more about yourself"

"Why are you so interested in me?"

"…I don't know…" he sounded thoughtful, and helpless. I got the impression that the conversation had died.

We didn't say anything else to each other for the rest of class, and when the bell rang, he darted out of the classroom as usual. I gathered my things and left the classroom. Angela was waiting for me outside of biology.

"Have fun?"

"What?"

"With Jasper Hale…Did he speak to you?"

"More like interrogated me"

"So he's interested in you?"

"I mean, I guess…Wait! What are you implying?!"

"Oh nothing…" she stated simply and walked off.

_What the fuck?! Does she know?!_

I found myself thinking about Angela and Jasper throughout most of P.E. class, inevitably causing my team to lose. All of my teammates glared at me as they walked to their respective locker rooms.

After gym, I ran through the rain, and straight to my truck. I looked toward the Volvo. Jasper was leaning against it, his hair and shirt soaking wet. I could see every detail of his lean chest. I couldn't breathe…the sight was just…_amazing._

Edward leaned out of the window and told Jasper something. He smiled. _Glorious._ He looked at me, still smiling. He waved. I blinked. I waved back dazed, then I pulled out of the parking lot, heart still racing.


	3. Confrontation

Chapter 3: Confrontation

"I know what you want," he said. _There was no way. How could he know? _"Calm down."

"What?" I looked into his golden eyes. His honey blonde hair fell in casual disarray around his angelic face.

He leaned in slowly. I froze, heart racing. Before I knew it, he was kissing me. He was swift and cautious, pulling back before I had even come out of shock.

I thawed out, and leaned in to kiss him again. I looked up at his beautiful eyes; he looked back at me in sheer horror. I paused, and he was gone…

I woke to the sound of rain on my window. It was a dream…I sighed. I laid there for a few minutes just listening to the rain outside. I wondered how necessary school could be when I had the sound of rain and almost perfect dreams. I sighed again, and got out of bed.

Steven had left by the time I got down stairs. I ate some toaster waffles, grabbed my keys, an umbrella, and left for school.

I got to English a little late due to traffic, but Mr. Varner let me into class without a tardy slip. I anxiously sat through all of my classes until lunch. By the time lunch came, I was shaky with anticipation. I walked into the lunch room, and took my seat next to Angela.

"Hey Devin." She said in a cheerful tone.

"Hey Ange." I replied cautiously. She knew too much. Remembering my anticipation, I looked up towards the Cullen table. I met eyes with Edward this time, instead of Jasper. I quickly looked away.

"Still staring at the Cullens?" she asked.

"There's something weird about them…" I confided.

"They're all really pretty? Yeah, I know." She sighed. There was something…weird about the Cullens. I was going to find out what.

I looked at their table again, once again making eye contact with Edwards's dim golden eyes. He smiled a mischievous smirk, and then turned to Alice. I studied the scene…committed every detail to memory…

The bell rang for fifth period. I got up, muttered a goodbye to Angela, and headed for biology.

I took my seat next to Jasper, and slid my chair just a little bit closer to his. He didn't seem to notice. We were studying hydroponics. We were to fill beaker wit water, pour it onto a sponge in a tray, sprinkle lettuce seeds on the sponge, gently press them down, and add more water to the tray. Then we were to watch and be amazed as lettuce grows without soil.

I went to fill the beaker, while Jasper went to get the seeds. I got distracted as I was filling up the beaker, and it overflowed in the sink. I poured out the excess water, and walked carefully back towards our lab station. Jasper was at our station counting out the seeds. Just before I got to the table, the beaked slipped out of my hands. Before it could fall to the ground and shatter into pieces on the floor, Jasper had bent down and caught it.

"Wouldn't want to break anything," he said, sounding relieved.

"Wow…how did you catch it so fast?" I asked, slightly stunned.

"I've got fast reflexes." He said, smiling. He sat the beaker down on the table and started setting up the experiment.

We got through the rest of biology without any mishaps, and I tried to clear my mind of Jasper for the rest of the day. That was unsuccessful. I knew I wasn't crazy…that was weird…

The next day, Angela was waiting for me in the parking lot.

"Here's the deal, the dance is next Saturday." I'm confused. Was Angela about to ask me to the dance? "I've heard three girls say they were thinking of asking you to the dance. Now, I know you don't want to go with _them_, so I'm giving you a head start so you can think of an excuse."

"Why do you assume I don't want to go with them, when they haven't even asked yet?" I challenged.

"Because…they're girls, sweetheart." She said politely.

"I knew you knew too much…"

"Of course." She said cheerfully.

"How did you figure It out?" I asked. It wasn't that I was hiding it or anything; I just didn't want to be classified as the gay kid. I shuddered at the thought.

"Intuition?" she said. "I don't know, I just do…Call It a really good gaydar. The more important thing is getting these girls off of your back." Ugh, gaydar, I was never really good with that sort of thing.

"…okay"

"Have you got your alibi together?"

"Yep, Seattle, I'll say I'm going to Seattle I haven't been there since I got here, so that'll work. Wanna come?" I didn't really want to be all alone. I could get bored very easily.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I'm going to ask Ben Cheney to the dance." She said.

"Right," I said. The bell rang. It didn't take long for me to see exactly what Angela was talking about.

Just as I was leaving trig, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a jovial looking girl with nice hair.

"Hi Devin" she said enthusiastically.

"Umm, hi" I said. Who are you? How do you know my name?! Personal space please?

"My name's Alana"

"Hi Alana…" _Please get on with it…_

"?" She said in a rush. If I didn't already know what she was going to ask I may have needed a repeat.

"Sorry, Alana, I'm going to be out of town that weekend."

"Oh? Okay then Devin, see you around" she said. She flipped her hair and walked out of the room.

Then, at lunch, another girl named Grace asked me to the dance. I gave her the same story, and she too walked off disappointed. The other girl Angela told me about must have heard about my trip from the other two because she never asked.

Before I knew it, lunch was over, and it was time for Biology. We were still studying hydroponics. I walked to my seat, watching Jasper. This was already becoming an obsession. I took my seat, he was writing something in his notebook. He looked tense.

"Hello Jasper" I said. _We were still on speaking terms right?_ He looked up from his notebook.

"Hello Devin," he said. Something was different again. I immediately looked at his eyes. They were black.

"What's up with your eyes?" I asked.

"Contacts," he stated plainly. _Didn't he just say that he didn't wear contacts?! What's going on?!_

"What are you?" I muttered before my mind could even find the reason for me saying that.

"Let's not do this now"

"What?! What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Banner's trying to teach. Meet me at your car after school," he said calmly.

"Umm, okay," I said, not completely sure of what just happened.

We both sat silently through the rest of biology.

I found it difficult to concentrate the rest of the day. I walked anxiously to my truck. I leaned against it, arms folded, waiting.

Jasper walked briskly towards my car and stood gloriously before me.

"What," he said impatiently.

"What's with you? You've got impossibly fast reflexes, your skin is pale white and ice cold, I haven't once seen you eat, like ever, and your eyes frickin change colors. Who has yellow eyes anyway?! What are you?!"

"Are you implying that I'm not human?" he said calmly.

"I don't know what I'm implying!" I said frantically.

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?"

"Maybe? I don't know! I just want to know what's going on!" _In case you were wondering Jasper, that's code for yes_.

He took a step closer and said," Stay away from me Devin," then walked off.

I got into my truck and sped home, furious.

_That went well…we know one dream that won't be coming true…_

Jasper wasn't there for the rest of the week. That hurt. I decided to get over it. Everyone else was busy making plans for the trip to the reservation.

We met Saturday morning at The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store. When I got there I noticed a surprisingly large group of people there. Luckily we had Mike's suburban, and someone else's SUV.

"Hey Devin, glad you could make it" Mike said hurriedly, as he was busy packing things into the back of the suburban.

Once we were all packed into the two cars, we made our way down to La Push. We rolled down the windows to prevent suffocation, and I admired the Forks scenery. Everything was a shade of green, with little bits of brown here and there. At first it was kind of unsettling to see my favorite color everywhere I went, but as I got used to my new home, it became comforting to say the least.

We got to the beach and built a startling blue fire out of driftwood and all sat around it. We talked and laughed, and it felt good to leave my obsession behind, if only for a little while.

Some of the boys decided to go to the nearby tidal pools. I wasn't one for hiking so I decided to stay behind. I felt kind of abandoned, seeing as Jessica had turned all of her attention to the nerdy Ben Cheney, but I made due with listening to Jessica gossip about who was going to the dance together.

By the time she gained control of her mouth, I noticed a somewhat large group of people walking towards us.

"Hey Angela," I said, reeling in her attention, "Who's that?"

"Oh, it looks like just some of the local kids"

I counted five guys, and two girls, they all had black hair, and beautiful copper skin. One of the guys stood out to me for some reason. He was slender, with chin-length jet-black hair parted down the middle, with one side tucked behind his ear, letting the other side swing free.

Jessica introduced us all, and I noticed the familiar looking boy look up with interest when she said my name. The oldest looking boy introduced each of our visitors, and I noticed that the familiar boy's name was Embry.

The rest of our group returned, when it was time for lunch. We all ate sandwiches, with chips and sodas. We talked and ate and talked some more, and to my surprise the sun was setting.

Throughout the day, I had noticed sparks flying between many of the girls and boys at the beach. Later, couples started walking off to separate parts of the beach. Some of the girls had taken interest in some of the Quilleute boys and after a while there weren't many people left around the fire. That's when Embry came to join me.

"You're Devin Michaels aren't you?" he asked.

"Yep, and you are?"

"Embry Call, I think I remember seeing you here before." he said thoughtfully.

"Probably did, I used to spend every summer in Forks with my dad."

"So you're down here for good now?" he asked.

"Yep, I moved here a couple of weeks ago." I told him.

"Cool" Embry said flashing a shy smile.

"You know Devin, Embry?" Angela asked from across the fire.

"Kind of, I've seen him around," he said flashing another coy smile.

"Yeah, my dad likes to go fishing in La Push…A lot." I chimed in. I hated how my dad used to drag me on his fishing trips every summer, it was as if he couldn't think of any thing else for us to do together.

"Sweetness," she said. I saw her look from me to Embry and back. I glared at her, she smirked impishly.

"It's too bad someone didn't invite the Cullens though, right Devin?" she said looking more innocent than she deserved.

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" The oldest looking Quileute boy asked before I could respond. He was tall, with a buzz cut, and looked far too old to be hanging out with kids our age.

"Yeah, you know them?" Angela asked, sounding slightly annoyed by his interruption.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a cold, stern voice. To me hit tone implied something different, like the Cullens couldn't come even if the wanted to. I was going to ask him about it but he was looking of into the forest.

I shrugged it off and turned my attention back to the boy sitting next to me. He had just said something, but I wasn't listening. I was still thinking about what the tall boy had said about the Cullens.

"Huh?" I asked.

He flashed another one of those shy smiles I was beginning to get used to, and looked down.

"I was asking if you wanted to take a walk down the beach with me." He said shyly. I didn't need gaydar to tell me that this kid was flirting with me.

"Sure" I said willingly. This was the perfect opportunity for me to find out more about why the Cullens don't come on the reservation.

"So, how old are you? Sixteen?" I asked as we started walking down the beach together.

"In a few more months," he confessed with a smile, "you?"

"Yep, sixteen" I said proudly.

"You're not _that_ much older than me" he protested.

"Yeah, you're pretty tall too, you could pass for older," I told him.

"I'm tall for my age," he said smugly. He was definitely tall, about two or three inches taller than me.

"Do you come up to Forks much?" I asked.

"Not really," he said with a frown. "But my mom's getting me a car next year, and then I can come and go as much as I want."

"Cool, you should come visit." I told him.

We kept talking as I learned more about him and two best friends Jacob and Quil. He asked me lots of questions, and the conversation flowed rather smoothly. I almost forgot about my Cullen curiosity, but once I remembered, the question burned my tongue until I finally got a chance to ask it.

"Who was that other boy Angela was talking to? He looked pretty old to be hanging out with us," I asked him.

Oh, that was Sam, he's nineteen," he informed me.

"What was that he was saying about the Cullens?" I asked trying not to look to interested.

"Oh, they're not supposed to come on the reservation," he said, confirming my suspicions.

"Why aren't they?"

He looked down at the sand. "I'm not really supposed to talk about it."

"Don't worry; I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious." I said, throwing in a comforting smile for good measure.

He smiled back and then looked at me questioningly. "Okay, how do you feel about scary stories?"

"I love them" I encouraged.

Embry walked to a nearby driftwood log and motioned for me to come and sit with him. He looked up at the sky, thinking.

"Do you know any of the Quileute legends?" he asked.

"Nope," I replied, still trying to look only mildly interested.

"Well, there are a lot of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood—supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive." He smirked, to show me how little he believed in these stories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves —and that wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them.

"There are legends about the _cold ones_." He got quieter, probably for dramatic effect.

"The cold ones?" I asked, no longer feeling the need to hide my interest.

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some more current. According to legend Jacob's great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"His great-grandfather?" I asked.

"Yeah, he was the tribal elder, like his dad. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemy of the wolf—well not the wolf really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"One"

I stared at him solemnly. This was actually getting kind of creepy.

"So you see," He continued, "the cold ones are by tradition, our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during Jacob's great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt like the other cold ones. They claimed not to be dangerous to the tribe. So that's when he made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the humans." He said looking pleased with the look on my face.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why…?" I said as I pondered his story in all seriousness.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this group was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." He deliberately worked in a tone of danger.

"What do you mean by 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

I tried to keep my voice steady. "So what does this have to do with the Cullens?" Are they like the cold ones that made the treaty?"

"No." He said with a dramatic pause. "They're the _same_ ones."

He probably had mistook the fear on my face for fear from his story. He smiled looking satisfied, and continued.

"There are more of them now, a new female, and a new male, but the rest are the same." He added.

"And what are they?" I asked, "What _are_ the cold ones?"

He smiled sinisterly.

"_Blood-drinkers_," he replied, "your people call them _vampires_."

I stared at the incoming waves, deep in thought.

"You've got goose bumps," he laughed.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! That was a really good story!" I defended.

"Pretty crazy though, right? No wonder we're not supposed to talk about it, people might think we're nuts."

I smiled at him. "Don't worry, I wont tell anyone you're crazy," I teased.

He laughed. "Technically, I just violated the almighty treaty."

"Your secret's safe with me," I promised.

"Don't say anything to your dad though; he was pretty upset when he found out that some of us won't go to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"I won't, trust me."

Then we heard the sound of someone walking towards us on the sand. We turned to see Angela, and Jessica walking towards us.

"Devin! We were wondering where you were," she said in relief, "c'mon we're about to go."

"Is that your girlfriend?" Embry asked.

I laughed. "No, _definitely_ not." I replied. "See ya," I said with a wink.

"See ya!" he said enthusiastically.

"Next time my dad decides to come fishing, I'll come down and visit." I promised, and then ran towards Angela. Of course she would want a play by play.

"What was going on with you and Embry?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Nothing, he was just telling me some old Quileute legends." I assured her, "they were really interesting."

She didn't look convinced. "I'm sure they were."

"It looks like its going to rain soon, so we're packing up to leave." She informed me. I looked up at the sky, it definitely looked like rain.

I pulled on my hood, and walked with her towards the parking lot. It was starting to drizzle. We got everything packed back into Mike's suburban and all filed in. I hopped In the back seat and looked out the window trying my best not to think about all the information I had just absorbed.


	4. Sweet Dreams

Chapter 4:

A/N: Okay, so this chapter actually included chapter 5 but I noticed it getting kind of long so I split it up. Hope you enjoy

Chapter 4: Sweet Dreams

My dad was watching TV when I got home that night. I mentioned a lot of homework I needed to do and proceeded to go upstairs. Being so into whatever was on the television, he didn't notice the slightly nauseated look on my face.

I went upstairs, took a shower, and then retreated to my room. I grabbed my ipod, went to my bed, and turned the music up until I couldn't hear anything else. I laid in my bed and tried my best not to think. It worked, and before I knew it, I was sleeping.

I opened my eyes, and took in my surroundings. The sun was setting behind the trees, I was in the forest. I saw the green of the trees around me, and if it weren't for the creep-factor, I would have thought it quite beautiful. I could hear distant waves telling me that a beach was nearby. If I could get out of the forest, I would be able to see the sun. I started walking towards the sound of the waves. Then, I felt someone tug on my hand. It was Embry, pulling me back into the dark forest.

"Embry? Where are you taking me?" I asked, he looked frightened. "Wher-I want to get out of here! Let go!" I told him.

He turned and looked me directly in the eyes. He took both of his hands and placed them on each side of my face. "You're safe in the forest," he told me as if it were of extreme importance. "You have to run."

"This way Devin!!" I heard a frantic Angela yell from the depths of the dark and foreboding forest.

_I need to go towards the light! Why won't they let me! I need to feel safe!_

"Why?! Let me go Embry!" I said pulling with all my strength.

Embry let go of my hand, and fell to the ground trembling from head to toe.

"Embry? Embry!" I screamed. But he wasn't there. In his place was a dark brown wolf with brown eyes. He was facing the shore, the light, growling as the hair on his back stood up. He let out a vicious snarl, and bared ferocious fang-like teeth.

"Run Devin!" Angela screamed again from behind me. I didn't turn. The sun seemed to be getting closer…growing brighter and brighter.

I saw Jasper emerge fro the trees, his skin glowing faintly. He looked at me sinisterly, his eyes black and ravenous. He smirked wickedly, then raised his hand and motioned with one finger for me to come closer. The wolf next to me let out another air-ripping snarl.

It felt instinctive on my part to go near this angelically beautiful creature. With no hesitation, I took a step forward. He smiled, showing two sets of sharp pointed teeth.

"Come here," he said innocently. "Trust me."

I took another step, his smooth voice reeling me in. It was too enticing to resist.

The wolf next to me launched itself in the air, aiming for Jasper's neck.

"No!" I shrieked, sitting upright in my bed. My sudden movement made my ipod to fall to the floor, taking the headphones with it. I let It stay there, too tired to move.

Even though I was tired, I knew I wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon, and truthfully, I didn't want to. My head flooded with images from the dream/nightmare I had just awoken from. I knew I'd have to face them sooner or later, but for now, I suppressed them away in the back of my mind. I brushed my teeth, taking time to carefully inspect each one.

I went back to my room and found something to wear, dressed slowly, and then proceeded to make up my bed. I crossed the room and looked out my window. My dad wasn't there.

Unable to stall any longer, I went to my desk and turned on the computer. While I was waiting for it to become functional, I went downstairs to make myself some breakfast. I ate a bowl of cereal, making sure to chew slowly and carefully, to consume time. After I finished, I cleaned my bowl and spoon, and went back upstairs. The computer beckoned me, but first I went to the side of my bed to pick up my ipod.

I went to the computer, unable to stall any longer, and pulled up my favorite search engine, Google. Then I typed in the seven letter word I was trying so hard to forget.

_Vampire_

I searched through, countless results until I found one site that sparked my interest—Vampires—A-Z. I was greeted by an interesting quote on the first page:

_Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of both.—Rev. Montague Summers_

The rest of the site was literally an A-Z listing of every vampire myth known to mankind. I searched through possibly hundreds of myths, looking for something that made me seem at least a little bit sane. Then, after much frustration, I came across two entries that seemed appropriate. The first was the Romanian _Varacolaci_, a powerful undead being that could appear as a beautiful pale-skinned human. The other one was entitled _Stregoni benefici. _Unlike the other entries, this one only had one sentence describing it. It read:

_Stregoni benefici: An Italian vampire, said to be on the side of goodness, and mortal enemy of all evil vampires. _

Throughout the hundreds of myths, only these helped satisfy me. Even though this only confirmed a few of my observations, it was a glimmer of hope. I started remembering things I knew of vampires. Coffins, sun burns skin, garlic, wooden stake, etc.

Now I was feeling really stupid. Frustrated, I turned off the computer. How could I let myself believe some old superstitious myths? What kind of creep actually considers the actuality of _vampires_? I concluded that Forks was officially screwing with my brain.

I needed to clear my mind. I went and laid across my bed. Maybe if I turned off my brain I could stop thinking about it.

That didn't work; I was still asking questions in my head.

_Could what Embry said about the Cullens be true?_

_No…_

_But then what? They sure as hell aren't normal._

_Does this qualify as talking to myself? Am I crazy?_

_It's a tad bit late for that don't you think?_

I ended that conversation before I convinced myself to get me institutionalized. I instead started thinking of everything I had observed. The lightning-fast reflexes, the gold eyes, the gold eyes becoming black, the breathtaking beauty, and the pale, icy skin. It all fit perfectly with Embry's story.

I decided that they certainly weren't normal, so maybe—maybe they were the _cold ones_ Embry told me about.

Now, in my quest for knowledge, I would need to find out if it was true. But how? Cut myself in front of the Cullens and see if they try and suck me dry? Ask them? Hi, my name is Devin. Are you a vampire by any chance? Those were definitely out of the question.

I decided that I would have to just act normal and gather more evidence for my psycho campaign. I kept thinking, and after a while I found myself asleep again. I was dreaming, somehow it seemed familiar.

"I know what you want," he said. _Oh no… _"Calm down."

"What?" I looked into his golden eyes. His honey blonde hair fell beautifully around his angelic face.

He leaned in slowly. I froze, heart racing. Before I knew it, he was kissing me. He was swift and cautious, wrapping his arms around me. He broke the kiss, looking at me. He leaned down further to kiss my neck.

"No-! " I gasped.

He released me from his hold. He gave me a look of deep betrayal then turned and walked away.

"No!" I gasped, sitting upright in my bed. I examined my surroundings. It was still bright out. I looked at the alarm clock on my nightstand; it was just a little after noon. I got up and decided to start working on my research paper for English.

I worked productively on that for the rest of the day, stopping when my dad came home. When I got downstairs he was warming up leftovers.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"Umm I was just telling you that I'm going to Seattle Saturday…if that's okay?"

"What for?" he asked.

"I want to go to the book store up there and maybe buy some clothes or something," I told him.

"Are you going alone?" he asked, furthering his interrogation.

"Yep"

"What if you get lost? Seattle's pretty big," he noted.

"I won't get lost. I can read a map dad. I'm sixteen, give me some credit."

"What if I came with you?"

Oh god no. That was definitely out of the question.

"No dad, I promise I'll be fine without you, thanks anyway," I told him quickly.

"Okay, well are you gonna be back in time for the dance?" He asked. I was hoping he wouldn't ask this particular question.

"No, I'll probably be too tired to dance."

"Oh, okay, you're probably right." He said.

* * *

The next morning, when I got to school, I tried as hard as possible not to look towards the silver Volvo. I even got through lunch without looking at their table, a major accomplishment. Biology was going to be the real test.

I got there before he did. I was reading over my notes, waiting for Mr. Banner to start class. Then I felt someone else's presence next to me.

_Wow, I didn't even hear him coming. VAMPIRE!_

"Devin?" Why was he talking to me? Did he not just tell me to stay away from him three days ago?

I glared at him. "We're on speaking terms now? I thought I was to 'stay away' from you." I said icily.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry about that…" He said, his voice trailing off.

"What?" I said heatedly. People don't just tell you to stay away from them and then apologize. "Are you bipolar or something?"

"Let's just say I was having a bad day."

"Whatever." I said, turning my attention to Mr. Banner, who had just started class.

"So do you forgive my rudeness? I was hoping we could be friends," he said, as if we weren't supposed to be taking notes. Even though I was still mad at him, my heart fluttered involuntarily at the thought of us being friends.

"I guess I forgive you," I told him.

"Wonderful" he replied.

"Now will you please stop interrupting my education Jasper?" I felt a slight thrill as I said his name.

"Yes sir" he replied, turning his attention to the board. I couldn't help staring at him from the corner of my eyes. He was perfect. I couldn't find one single flaw. It was captivating.

The rest of the day I was in an extremely good mood. I was still kind of confused, but the fact of the matter was that he wanted to be friends with me. My heart sped up at the thought. Even Gym was bearable, and when I got home I practically made me and Steven a feast. He was skeptical at first, looking at the food as if checking for poison.

After dinner, I cleaned the kitchen and went back up to my room to do homework and finish my paper. Then, exhausted, I went to bed.

The next day went by in a blur, as most of my days at Forks High do. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I took my seat next to Jessica and looked at the Cullen table. He wasn't there. My shoulders slumped in disappointment. I sighed.

"Umm Devin?" Jessica said, poking me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Jasper's…staring at you." She said in a slightly subdued tone.

I turned to her. "What?!" I asked.

"Yeah, I wonder why he's sitting all alone though…" she said dreamily.

I followed her gaze to see Jasper sitting at an empty table towards the middle of the cafeteria. We made eye contact, and then he motioned for me to join him. Then he gave me what I thought to be the most gorgeous smile in the world.

"Maybe he needs help with Biology homework," I told her.

"The Cullens are smart, I doubt he would need any help…You really shouldn't keep him waiting." She told me.

"Yeah, I better go see what he wants," I said as I got up with my tray.

"I want details!" she yelled after me.

I got to the table and stood there, unsure if I should sit down or not.

"Why don't you have lunch with me today?" he asked, smiling.

I sat down, still eyeing him with suspicion. Even though he had said he wanted to be friends, I couldn't help being skeptical. I was suddenly reminded of my dreams in which he would disappear. He was just staring, as if waiting for me to ignite the conversation, something I had never been good at.

"Why did you want to eat lunch with me again?" I asked him.

He smiled. "That's what friends do right? And also, I was tired of staying away from you." That sent chills up and down my spine.

"Staying away from me?"

"Umm yes, I've decided to take more risks in life." He said, as if it were some sort of inside joke.

"You're confusing, you know that right?" I said, pondering the double meaning in his words.

"More or less"

"I'd say more…" I muttered.

"So, anyone ask you to the dance?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to be in Seattle that day, so I turned them down," I told him.

"Really? Turns out I'm going to Seattle that day, do you need a ride?"

"Huh?" I said, taken off guard.

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?"

"With…you?" I asked, stunned.

"Yes, you should really consider getting your ears checked," he said, smiling.

"No, I don't need a ride, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I don't think your truck can make it."

"My truck works just fine, I'm sure I'll be fine." I said, still a bit flustered.

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?"

"Can yours Jasper?" I asked, slightly irritated by his bashing of my truck. It had sort of grown on me.

"Edward's can and he said I could borrow it." He stated simply. "So why don't you save the money, and ride with me? I mean we are friends right?"

"If you say so…" I replied.

"So will you go to Seattle with me?" he asked, looking at me with golden eyes that seemed to liquefy before my eyes. I couldn't breathe again. I nodded.

He smiled.

"Good," he said, releasing me from his powerful gaze.

"Something's wrong with you" I informed him.

"What?"

"No one can do that with their eyes"

"Do what?"

"I don't know how to explain it….I just know it's not normal."

"Again with the weird theories?"

"Yep, I still haven't figured out what you are." I told him.

"Okay," he said, playing along," what are your theories?"

I went back and forth in my mind debating whether I should tell him what I _really _thought he was.

"Well?" he prompted me, pulling me back under his captivating gaze.

I decided against it.

"Okay, well have you been near any toxic waste lately?" I asked.

"No, not that I can recall." He said, smiling again.

"Bitten by a radioactive spider?"

"Too cliché, you're not even close."

"Okay well…are you an alien?"

"Is that really all you could come up with? I'm disappointed in your lack of creativity," he said teasingly.

"I've got more…I'm just too…_embarrassed _to say them," I lied. The real reason was that I was afraid…afraid of being right.

"I won't laugh, I promise," he said, his innocent face too alluring.

Then, the bell rang. Thank god! I was saved, literally by the bell.

"Well, see you in biology!" I said quickly as I got up and went back to my table.

I was eagerly greeted by Angela.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Well what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"What were you two talking about for all that time? Hmm? I mean if you don't want to tell me, that's cool. But I _will_ find out eventually, and when I do, I'm not telling."

"I've got to get to class Angela, I'll tell you later," I promised her.

"I'll just smile and laugh every day and it will eat you alive!"

"Angela," I said, trying to calm her," have you been around Jessica too long? Calm down. I promise I'll call you tonight and fill you in."

"You better not forget," she warned me.

"I won't" I replied, walking towards Biology.

* * *

I walked into biology just before the tardy bell rang. Jasper had a puzzled look on his face. I took my seat.

"What's wrong?" I asked him teasingly.

"My siblings are keeping things from me. They think it's funny."

"What won't they tell you?" I asked, intrigued.

"Edward told me he heard something interesting, and Alice says she saw something even more interesting, but they think it will be more entertaining if I find out myself."

"Okay, I'm completely and totally confused," I told him.

"That's fine, I expect you to be," he told me, "So are you going to tell me the rest of your theories?"

"How about we save those for this weekend?" I said craftily.

He sighed. "Fine, I'll be patient."

Then, he scrunched up his face in thought, It was totally adorable, and asked,  
" What time do you want me to pick you up Saturday?"

"Umm does twelve sound good?" I asked.

"Fine with me, I just need to know now because Alice, Esme, Edward and I are going camping this weekend" he said with his smooth voice.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Our family is big on camping." He replied with a laugh.

"Why aren't the others going?"

"Carlisle has to work, and Rosalie isn't as enthusiastic about this particular camping trip, so Emmet's staying here with her."

"Oh," I said, feeling confused again.

When I got home from school, I had barely got through the door, and already the phone was ringing. Angela.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey Devin, how ya doin?"

"…fine" I said suspiciously.

"So…you wanna tell me what you and Jasper were talking about today at lunch?"

"Umm, we just talked and stuff," I told her casually.

"WHAT! LIES! Tell me now!—"

"Calm down Angela, sheesh."

"Okay, okay. I'll try to remain calm."

I sighed, not knowing exactly what to tell her. I decided that the truth was the best way to go, leaving out some parts of course.

"He said he wanted to be friends," I told her.

"Really? I think he likes you."

"I wish. He's just too hard to figure out, and its not like I have any experience with guys or anything."

"You've never had a boyfriend or anything?"

"Nope, never even been kissed." I told her, slightly embarrassed.

She giggled.

"Not funny Angela."

"Sorry, so what else did you two talk about?"

I sighed again.

"He's taking me to Seattle on Saturday."

"What! A date! I thought you said you didn't think he liked you!"

"It's not like that!" I hurried and told her, "I told him I was going, and he said he was too and then he offered me a ride."

"Sounds like a date to me," she muttered.

"Definitely not…" I reassured her.

Then I heard Steven walk in.

"Hey Ange, my dad just got home, I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Kay, see you tomorrow," she said, ending the call.

A/N: Don't stop now! Keep going! It only gets better, I promise. Would I lead you wrong? I don't think I would, so keep reading silly!

Hahaha, I crack myself up. Okie dokie, the next chapter is the Seattle trip. Should be interesting, no? Shouldn't take me long, i'm almost done with it. Hope you Liiiike it. R&R

-Kevyncito 3


	5. La Bella Italia

Chapter 5: La Bella Italia

The rest of the week was a blur, making me realize that Jasper Hale was the only interesting thing in Forks. Throughout the week I spied on Rosalie and Emmet, trying to find anything that would prove that they were - dare I say it – _vampires. _I found nothing. This made me feel rather foolish, but I wasn't going to give up on my suspicions because I had already decided to ask Jasper himself once we were in Seattle.

Since he wasn't there, I had to endure Angela whispering "Where's your boyfriend," everyday at lunch. It got annoying, but I endured it. The highlight of the week was when Tyler got into a wreck and was hospitalized. Everyone went to see him, and I kind of felt obligated, so I went too. I was hoping to see Jasper's adopted father, but then I remembered that he would be camping with the others.

Friday night came around, and I couldn't sleep. I tried forcing myself to sleep, but that never worked for me. I decided to just listen to my ipod until I fell asleep. I put it on shuffle and started listening. I noticed that if I listened to the words, I would only start thinking about them, so I tried listening only to the instruments. Soon I was drifting off into my subconscious, music still playing.

* * *

It was like I was outside my body, like looking at a movie. I saw my brown complexion glowing in the moonlight. I could see my brown eyes, glistening softly, even my hair, shining. I heard music, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I knew the song, but I couldn't think of the name. I heard waves, and looked at my feet to see that I was standing in sand. I saw myself look towards the sound of the waves, and into the ocean. Then I saw myself look up curiously as the words to the song flooded my ears.

_If I put my hand out, would you put yours in mine?_

I saw Jasper walk up and take my hand. He was glowing faintly. It reminded me of something else that I couldn't remember. We smiled at each other, and then proceeded to walk down the beach together. We were walking towards a bonfire that was set up down the beach. Once we got there, we sat facing each other in the sand. We held each other's hands in between us. I watched the expression on Jasper's face change from a content one, to one of sorrow.

_Don't let your feelings try to tear us apart._

Jasper stood up, I watched myself stand up too. Then I watched as I hugged him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around me too, holding me tight.

_I wanna get closer to you. I'm on the outside looking in. Tell me our love is real…_

I saw myself pull back, and look at his face. Then I leaned up and kissed him softly. The kiss broke, but then Jasper leaned forward and kissed me again, this time more passionately.

_I imagine how you feel. Could be the only thing that's real…_

…_If you would let me in, then I would know for sure..._

The kiss broke and we were just standing there, gazing into each other's eyes. Then everything started fading to black, just like a movie. I opened my eyes, still hearing the song playing in my ears.

I rolled over and looked at my alarm clock. It was nine. That gave me three hours to kill until I got to see Jasper again. I went through about seven outfits before I finally decided on a simple t-shirt and hooded jacket. I took a shower, and then went downstairs to fix myself a bowl of cereal. Steven was at the station again, so I didn't have to worry about him.

It was only 10:30. I had an hour and a half to burn. I decided to email my mom, and to clean my room. I needed to do anything to ease the nerves. When I was done, I sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the clock, trying to make time go faster.

I heard a light knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. I went to the door, taking a few preliminary breaths. I opened the door to see an angel. Not seeing him for four whole days made a big difference. He looked like he stepped right out of a magazine. My imagination couldn't do him justice.

"Hey," he said.

I couldn't speak…I couldn't even move. I just stood there.

His brow furrowed.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. Let's go." I said, snapping out of my hypnosis.

He stepped to the side and let me pass. I saw the silver Volvo when it occurred to me that the other Cullen's wouldn't have a vehicle.

"What will the other's drive?"

"They've still got Rose's BMW and Emmet's jeep," he stated simply.

"Wow…" I said, in awe. I guess that's what a doctor's salary can do for you.

He got into the drivers seat. He turned the key in the ignition and the car purred to life. He pulled swiftly and neatly from the driveway. He drove down the street with increasing speed. I was glued to my seat, clutching my seatbelt. He turned and looked at me.

"So are you going to tell me more of your theories?" he asked.

"Can you p-please keep your eyes on the road!!" I said frantically.

"I know what I'm doing," he said, as if that was supposed to be reassuring.

"You need to _slow down_!" I hissed.

"Calm down Devin, I've got everything under control," he reassured me. His words seemed to sooth me. I felt calmer, and my heart rate started to return to normal. He smiled.

"Better?" he asked, with his perfect, fluid voice.

"I guess…but I'm saving the psycho-theories for later" I told him.

"I'm not very patient, but I'll wait," he sighed.

He drove, and I watched as the cars blurred past. I admired the change in scenery. Less green was quite a relief. It would have been even better if it weren't cloudy, but I guess I can't have it all. We drove for another five minutes. Then he parked the car on the side of the road.

"Meet me back here at four." he told me as he got out of the car.

"Kay," I told him. Then he was off to do whatever it was that he needed to come to Seattle for.

I walked around a bit, looking in stores at stuff that I liked but wasn't willing to spend money on. Then, to my excitement, I found a Borders Book Store. I went in and quickly went to scanning the various books. I looked for anything on vampires, but all I found was some cheesy teen romance novel.

I continued looking through the books and found a few that interested me. I checked the time. It was almost three. I checked out, and then chose to walk back to the silver Volvo. I felt pretty confident in my route. I turned the corner to the street where I thought the car was, and it wasn't there. I panicked. Then I realized that I hadn't even thought to look at what street Jasper parked on. I started walking faster, bumping into people passing by.

I heard thunder. I looked up to see angry dark grey clouds. This only made me feel worse. It got darker all around me and I thought I was going to have a panic attack. I felt a drop of rain fall on my head. I started running, and soon it was drizzling. No matter what street I ran down, there was no Volvo. I turned a corner and found myself in an alleyway, feeling the rain pounding against my head. I slumped against the wall and tried to catch my breath.

"Devin?"

That voice. That same beautiful voice!

"Jasper?" I asked, though I knew it was him.

I turned to look at him, he was wet, but he had an umbrella.

"You weren't at the car, so I went looking for you and then it started raining so I had to go get an umbrella. You should really get under the umbrella," he told me.

I walked under the umbrella, as he guided me back to the car, without getting lost once. We got in the car and I sat there panting in silence.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah, all I ate was breakfast." I told him.

"Okay," he said, starting the car.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"To a restaurant. You said you were hungry…" he replied.

"We don't have to go to a restaurant! We can just go to McDonalds! I don't have enough money to go eat at a restaurant!"

"Then I'll pay," he said as if I should have known this previously.

"You don't have to, I'll just eat at home," I told him.

"Devin, don't argue, you won't win," he said, closing the subject. He parallel parked the car and got out. Apparently I was to follow.

I sighed. Jasper walked to the door of La Bella Italia and held it open. I crossed my arms and walked in grudgingly. It wasn't very crowded, and the lights weren't the brightest, ultimately it had a nice feel to it. We walked up to the podium where the hostess smiled warmly at Jasper. It sickened me. Could she be any more obvious?

"Table for two please?" he asked, his voice sounding extra smooth. The hostess looked from him to me and back again. She led us to a table in the middle of the restaurant, where most of the other customers were. I was about to sit, but Jasper held out his arm, preventing me to pass.

"Could we get something more secluded?" he asked the hostess.

"Uh, sure." she said. I could tell it wasn't common for people to refuse a table. She led us to a booth towards the back of the restaurant. Definitely secluded.

"Is this better?" she asked.

"Perfect.' He said, smiling. She stood there for a second, staring.

"Um…" she mumbled, shaking her head, "your server should be with you shortly." She walked away briskly.

"Did you see that?" I asked him.

"See what?" he asked.

"You had her eating out the palm of your hand!"

He looked confused. "I did?"

"You must be kidding. You do it to people all the time."

"Do what exactly?"

"I don't know! It's like you hypnotize them with your eyes or something."

"Do I do it to you?"

I looked up, directly into his golden eyes. I stared, captivated. I managed to look away, thinking of a good way answer to his question. Then I noticed a blonde, perky looking waitress, with an eager gleam in her eye, coming our way. The hostess must have told her about the hottie at table four. Despite my annoyance, I was glad to see her.

"Hi, my name is Michelle. I'll be your server this evening, Can I take you guys something to drink?" she said, looking at Jasper the whole time.

"Root-beer" I said, forcing her to acknowledge my existence.

"I'll have a root-beer also," he said.

"Okay, I'll be right back with those drinks," she said, smiling at Jasper.

She wasn't gone for long. When she left I looked up at Jasper. He was staring at me.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he said. I felt my eyes narrow. By then the waitress had come back with our drinks. She must have rushed to make the drinks. I mean, who wouldn't rush to see that face again?

"Are you ready to order?" she asked, still only looking at Jasper.

"Devin?" he asked. She turned towards me, as if I had just appeared at the table with Jasper. I didn't know much about Italian cuisine, so I thought I'd stick with what I knew.

"I'll just have the spaghetti."

"And you sir?" she said, smiling widely at Jasper.

"I won't be having anything," he told her.

_I knew it! Vampire!_

"Okay, if you change your mind, just let me know," she said, still smiling her head off. When he didn't look at her, she left. He was still looking at me.

"What? Why do you keep staring at me?"

"Trying to figure you out," he said thoughtfully.

"You're not the easiest to figure out either, Mr. Mood swing," I told him.

"Everyone's entitled to a bad day every now and then, aren't they?"

"I think it has something to do with your eyes. You're a bitch when they're black." I told him.

"Is this a part of your crazy theory?" he asked.

"Yep," I told him, taking a bite of a breadstick.

"Still think I'm some sort of comic-book hero?" he asked sarcastically.

"Maybe, maybe not"

"Did it ever occur to you that I might be the villain instead?" he said, his tone serious.

"I took that into account," I told him.

"This should be good then…so?" he pressed.

Then, the waitress came back with my food. I realized that while we were talking we were both leaning forward, and both sat back as she arrived. She sat the plate in front of me, and then turned her full attention to Jasper.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" she asked. There seemed to be an innuendo buried in her words, but maybe I was imagining things.

"No thank you, I'm fine." He said politely.

"I need a refill though," I told her, once again forcing her to notice me. She took my glass and walked away.

"Well?" he asked.

I sighed. Time to get this over with.

"Well I didn't come up with this on my own. I'm nowhere near creative enough."

"You had help?" he said, surprised. The waitress then came back with my refill, this time not bothering to say anything.

"Yes, a guy I met at the beach—Embry Call."

He looked confused.

"He told me some of the Quileute legends. One of them was about—"i hesitated, looking at him. He sat there, waiting for me to continue.

"About vampires," I said, looking away.

"And this made you think of me?" he asked, his tone calm, yet serious.

"No…he said some things about your family…that you aren't allowed on the reservation…because you're vampires."

"And you believed him?" he asked, his voice showing signs of no emotion whatsoever.

"It was just a silly superstition, I mean, only the elders really belie—"I started.

"Devin, did you believe it? Yes or No?" he said, in a severe tone.

"Should I believe it?" I asked. I noticed I was whispering. He leaded in

"You're avoiding the question," he said, matching my whisper.

I remained silent. It felt like my heart was going to break through my ribcage.

After a few seconds, he sat back. I remained frozen.

"Calm down," he told me. I couldn't. I honestly tried. I was feeling severe hysteria.

Then I felt my heart rate start to slow down, and my shallow breaths became deeper. I leaned back against the seat. He smiled. Did he somehow do that? _Could _he do that?

"Did you just d—"

"So let's say that hypothetically, I was a vampire. What would you do then?" he mused.

"I—I don't know…nothing, I guess." I said, wondering what was going on.

"You wouldn't run away screaming to the police?" He asked sarcastically.

"No, then that hypothetical vampire would have to leave," I said.

"You wouldn't want this vampire to leave?"

"How about we call him John"

"Okay, you wouldn't want john to get as far away as possible?"

Is that what I wanted? No, I wanted him to stay. Even if I couldn't have him the way I wanted, friendship would be enough.

"No, I wouldn't care if my friend was a vampire," I stated.

"Hmm…"

"Would this mean that john's family members are all vampires?"

"Hypothetically," he said. Even though I knew I should be panicking, I still felt completely calm.

"Would john have to kill anyone he told this to?"

"…Maybe…" he whispered. All rational thinking told me I should be panicking. Something wasn't right. He had to be doing this to me.

"Does John have some kind of magical powers?"

"Why would you think that?" he asked. It didn't sound like a question.

"My brain is telling me I should be pretty much having a heart attack right now, but my body won't let me. Is John somehow causing this?"

He sat there silently.

"Well?" I prompted.

He sighed. "I guess I've gone too far to turn back now. Yes, that's my fault."

"Wha—How?" I was dumbfounded.

"Are you done eating?" he asked.

I looked down at my half-eaten plate of spaghetti.

"Yeah," I said weakly.

He waved for the waitress. She strode over to our table with the check. She sat it down and walked towards another table. He slipped in a single bill. He stood up.

"You don't want the change?" I asked, awkwardly stumbling to my feet.

"No, I'll be fine." He said, motioning for me to walk towards the door. I walked to the door as steadily as I could, given my current state of mind.

We got to the car, and he held the passenger door open for me. I got in silently. Seconds later, he was sliding into the driver's seat.

"How does it work? I asked softly.

"I can feel other people's emotions, and manipulate them." He said.

"How does that work exactly?" I said fearful of the emotions I had been feeling near him.

"Anything you can put the words 'I feel' in front of, I can feel and manipulate."

"But that means…" I started thinking of all the possibilities. I feel nervous. I feel mesmerized. I feel like kissing you. I feel lust. _Oh god. _

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Nothing." I said quickly. "What are the details, I mean, you're cold, and pale, and fast.

"Basically, I'm dead. I don't have a heartbeat, and I don't have to breathe. My skin is always ice cold, I don't age—"

"Wait, what?!" I asked.

"I don't get any older." He stated simply, as if that were normal.

"How old _are_ you?!" I asked.

"Seventeen," he replied.

"And you've been seventeen for how long?"

"A very long time," He said simply.

"Okay…" I said, not completely sure what that meant.

He started the car. I just realized that we had been sitting in the car the whole time.

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider running away? He asked again.

I ignored his question. "So umm…do you sleep in a coffin?"

He laughed loudly, the sound startled me. "No! Even if I could sleep I'd like to think that I'd have better taste than a coffin."

"You can't sleep? Like ever?" I asked. Wow.

"Never," he said in a serious tone.

"Wow, what about burning in the sun? Or silver bullets? Holy water? Wooden stakes?"

"Silver bullets are for werewolves. Those are all myths, but you're forgetting the most important question." He said keeping his tone even.

"What?" I asked, confused. He looked me in the eyes. I was dazed again.

"My diet," he said as he pulled out of the parking spot.

"Huh?" I said, still overcome by his presence.

"I'm a _vampire. _Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

"Embry s-said you feed on animals, not humans." I said, it sounded more like a question than a statement.

I looked at him. He was staring intently at the road. I followed his gaze to see the road under his headlights speeding by. I looked at the speedometer.

"SLOW DOWN! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?! JUST BECAUSE YOU"RE DEAD AND ALL DOESN'T MEAN—"

"Relax Devin, we're not going to crash. I always drive like this." He said, pulling me under the full influence of his molten gold eyes. I also started feeling calm again.

"That's going to get annoying after a while…"I informed him calmly.

"Where were we?" he asked.

"Your diet…" I said, still calm. "Embry said that you didn't kill humans."

"True, but that doesn't make me any less of a threat to your life." He said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"This is a mistake. Me being alone with you? This is _very _detrimental to your life. I could very well choose to kill you right here and right now." He murmured.

"But you won't…will you?" I asked, uneasily.

"I don't want to…" he said. I could tell that was all I was going to get. We sat in silence. Why did the most gorgeous guy on the planet have to be inclined towards killing me?

"Why do you hunt animals?" I asked, wanting to hear his voice again.

"Do you want me to kill innocent people or something?"

"Of course not, but is it the same?"

"Definitely not, I try to stay away from the thought of human blood, especially around you." His velvety voice was alluring.

"Sorry…"

"Don't apologize." He smiled at me. I sighed.

He started laughing.

"What?!" I asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"This is what Alice and Edward were keeping from me! They must have known that you knew!"

"I don't follow." I said confusedly.

"Alice can see the future, and Edward can read minds. Edward must have heard it, and Alice must have seen our conversation. It all makes sense." He said, his voice filled with wonderment.

I was tired, I rested my head on the back of the seat, and closed my eyes.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Mhm," I said, already dozing off.

"Okay, we're almost to your house..." his voice drifted off as I fell asleep.

A/N: I kinda rushed to finish this chapter cuz it's late and I'm tired. :D. Please Review! Love you guys!


	6. Histrionics

Chapter 6: Histrionics

I felt something extremely cold on my shoulder. My body automatically recoiled away from the foreign object. I opened my eyes. The foreign object was Jasper's hand.

"We're here," he said softly.

"We are?" I asked blearily. I tried to look out the window, but all I saw was the black of night. I turned and reached for the door handle, then hesitated. Now that I knew his secret, would Jasper and his family leave? I shivered.

"Are you going to leave now?" he seemed to understand my question.

"No, I don't see any reason to. Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"It's not like anyone would believe me."

"Just promise me you won't tell. I don't _want_ to kill you, but I would have to…" he said thoughtfully. That sent a chill down my spine.

"I won't tell," I whispered. He leaned in. I gulped, heart racing.

"See you Monday," he said. He was close enough that I could feel his breath. It smelled amazing…no, intoxicating. I leaned closer. He leaned away. I blinked, now thoroughly dazed. I reached again for the door handle and stepped awkwardly out of the car. I stumbled as I made my way to the door, then I heard the car purr to life. I turned to see the silver Volvo disappear down the street.

I got my key and unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Devin?" I heard my dad ask with a slight hint of worry.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me," I answered.

"Where were you? I was worried."

"Seattle? Remember?" I reminded him. He looked skeptical.

"Are you sure that's where you've been?"

"Yes!"

"How did you get there then?"

I just realized that my truck had been sitting in the driveway the whole time. This was why he was worried.

"Oh! Jasper took me. He's Doctor Cullen's kid," I informed him.

"But you said you were going alone, was that a lie?"

"No-"

"Why would you feel the need to lie to me Devin? I'm your father, you can tell me anything." He said. He was overreacting. I didn't like the direction in which this conversation was going.

"At the time, I _was _going alone. Jasper asked to take me after I told you about it."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

"Slipped my mind? I don't know. Sorry dad, I forgot."

"Just don't let it happen again, you had me worried kiddo." He sighed.

"Okay, well I'm tired. I did a lot of walking today. I'll be in my room." I said as I made my way to the stairs.

"Okay…" he said, returning to the living room. I grabbed the phone off the counter before making my way up the stairs. Angela was probably bursting with anticipation. I dialed the number; she picked up on the second ring.

"What took you so long?!" she sounded frantic.

"Hello Angela, how are you this fine evening?"

"What happened? Did he kiss you? Did you just get home?!"

"NO, and yes. I just got in."

"Wow…what were you guys doing all day?"

"I went to the bookstore, and he went off somewhere. Then I got lost and it started raining. Then Jasper found me, and we went to a restaurant for dinner."

"Devin, this screams date…" she said matter-of-factly

"It wasn't a date. He doesn't like me." I reminded her.

"I think otherwise, and I'm usually right."

"Whatever you say, I'm gonna go to bed. See you Monday, kay?"

"Goodbye sweetheart, see you Monday!"

* * *

Nothing else interesting happened that weekend. My nights were dreamless, and my day was filled with a mix of homework and housework. Monday morning I woke up late. Steven was gone, as usual. I made myself a bowl of cereal and rushed to the door. I turned around and locked it.

When I turned back around, there was a shiny silver Volvo sitting in the driveway. My heart sped up triple time. I blinked, and Jasper was at the passenger door, holding it open for me.

"Do you want a ride to school?" he asked, sounding tentative. I wondered if he really expected me to run away screaming for my life. He seemed to be expecting that as he gave me the chance to say no.

"Sure, thanks," I said. My voice cracked. I got into the warm car, which felt good in contrast to the cold air outside. The door closed behind me, and less than a second later, he was sitting next to me starting the car.

He was wearing a grey sweater that displayed perfectly his beautifully sculpted chest. I never noticed it before, but Jasper had a really nice body. I guess I was too caught up looking at his face that I never even bothered to look anywhere else. Something occurred to me.

"Jasper? How is the rest of your family going to get to school?"

"They took Rosalie's car," he shrugged. Then we pulled up to a glistening red convertible with the top down. "A little pretentious if you ask me"

"Wow…"I said, stunned. "If you have that, then why do you ride in Edward's car?"

"We do _try _to fit in as much as we can. Showing off how much money we have only defeats the purpose."

"I don't think you could blend in if you wanted to." I told him.

"Why is that?" he asked, looking at me.

I struggled to maintain my composure. "Because you all are more beautiful than any human's _I've _ever seen."

"Hm. Thanks," he said, smiling.

"Why did she drive that if you want to stay inconspicuous?" I asked. I noticed some of the boys drooling over the red convertible.

"I wanted to bring you to school," he said simply.

"Why? I have a car you know."

He didn't respond. I looked at him expectantly, my eyes tracing his pale features.

"It makes me…anxious…to be away from you." He turned to me, his eyes tender, but severe. I took deep breaths to keep myself calm.

"I don't like it either, you're all I think about when you're gone," I confessed. I looked down in embarrassment.

_I can't believe I just told him that!_

He was silent. I looked up, he looked distressed.

"I can't do this, it's not right," he muttered.

"What?"

He shook his head from side to side. "I don't want you to feel that way. It's not safe. You shouldn't even be here right now. Carlisle—all of them, they put too much faith in me. I'm dangerous Devin, don't you see that? You should be scared for your life. You are at a greater risk than any other human at this school. I've killed before. You need to stay away from me. I can't do this." He said, looking down at the floor of the car. It looked to me as if he were going to cry.

"Jasper, it doesn't matter to me. I don't care what you are. Its too late now." I said, trying to comfort him.

"Don't say that." He said sharply.

Feelings of dread washed over me, but I knew it had nothing to do with Jasper's powers. I fought to keep the liquid in my eyes from breaching my eyelids. When I didn't reply, he looked at me.

"Don't cry, I'm sorry…" he said sounding worried. He reached out towards my face, but quickly dropped his hand.

"See you in biology Jasper" I said, getting out of the car. I went straight to the bathroom. There was no way that I could let Angela see me crying like this. I didn't even think I could face Jasper again. I didn't even know why I was crying. Why did it upset me so much that Jasper didn't want to be near me?

I blew my nose, and wiped my eyes, and left the bathroom. I headed to English and got there just before the bell rang. I saw Mike looking concerned, and Angela mouthed "Are you okay?"

I nodded to her, and motioned that I was sick. I focused every fiber of my being on class. Not even daring to think about Jasper. I was highly attentive through American History, and Trigonometry.

I was walking towards Spanish. I was running late. I didn't see anyone else moving from class to class. Suddenly, I felt the ground fall from under me, as I was forcefully, but gently pushed against the building.

"Devin, I'm sorry. Don't be angry with me. You wouldn't believe how hard…how new this is for me. I've never had to try so hard to keep someone alive." It was Jasper. His face was inches away from mine. I held my breath, trying not to inhale his invigorating scent. I couldn't move away—he was holding me in place—so I just averted my eyes from his. That was the only route to coherent thinking.

"You _promised_ me. You _promised_ that you wouldn't leave. But apparently, you can't stand to be near me." I said, my eyes starting to water. _Why the hell do I have to be so sensitive?!_

"Don't you get it yet?" he asked. I had no idea what he was talking about. I looked into his eyes. They were intense, and filled with warm gold. "All I want is to be near you…" The moisture in my eyes brimmed over. "But I won't—can't do that if it puts you in danger…and I don't know if I trust myself…" He ended in a whisper.

The bell rang. I was late. He took a step back.

"Jasper, _I don't care!_ I just don't want you to disappear again." I said truthfully.

"I won't"

"Okay" I whispered, mostly to myself.

"See you at lunch," he said, walking in the direction of his class.

It was storming outside when I left Spanish, but I noticed Angela was waiting for me at the door. Luckily, I had regained my composure by then. She was far too perceptive. She would know something was wrong. She didn't talk much—which was a change—as we walked towards the cafeteria.

"Are you sitting with Jasper today?" she asked.

"…I don't know" I said, trying to sound calm.

I had my question answered as I saw Jasper leaning against the wall outside the cafeteria.

"I guess so," I said, trying to sound eager.

"Bye Devin, call you later," she said sounding concerned. She eyed Jasper warily as she went into the cafeteria.

"Hello." He said quietly.

I took a deep breath. "Hi"

"You're upset." I knew there was no use in lying to him. He would always know exactly how I felt. I let the gravity of that sink in for a second.

"I'll be fine," I told him. He opened the cafeteria door. I walked in. he led the way to the line silently, glancing at me every few seconds. He took two trays and started filling them with food. I followed silently to the table, and sat down.

"So can you actually eat food?" I asked, my voice apathetic.

He rolled his eyes, and picked up an apple of my tray and took a quick bite, chewed, then swallowed. I raised my eyebrows.

"Yes, I can eat food. But since I'm technically dead, I can't digest it."

"That's it Jasper, I'm officially creeped out. Goodbye," I said sarcastically.

"Not funny," he said quietly.

I sighed, taking a bite of pizza. I looked around the cafeteria. I saw Alice, staring into space, and Edward staring at me. That bothered me.

"Do they tell you things?" I motioned towards his family. "What I'm thinking? What I'm going to do?"

"Maybe…" he said teasingly.

I glared at him to show I was serious.

"Alice and Edward like to keep their secrets. It's hardly fair because I can't keep secrets from them. I've only managed to get a few minute details out of them."

"Like what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Not telling," he said with a brilliant smile.

I glared into his golden eyes, and crossed my arms.

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang, I immediately went to grab my stuff. When I stood up, Jasper was already there. We walked silently to class, Jasper still watching me out the corner of his eye.

We sat down at our lab table in Biology. I noticed that he didn't put his chair as far away as he usually did. In fact, his chair was closer than necessary to mine. I scooted my chair an inch in the opposite direction.

Mr. Banner wasn't there today. Instead, we had a frail-looking old woman for a substitute. She smelled like old lady. The substitute didn't say much, but she walked into the class pushing a cart with a TV on it. She pushed in a tape, and turned off the lights. My whole body went tense. My heart started beating faster. I glanced at Jasper out the corner of my eye. He was looking back at me with the same expression. He smiled, eyes glistening in the light of the TV. I turned to the TV so I didn't start drooling.

The whole time the movie was on, I couldn't relax. I was tense with him so close to me. Occasionally, I'd spare a glance in his direction. He was always staring back, which didn't help me to relax any. I wanted to reach out and feel his face, but I knew that would be unwise. There seemed to be lightning sparking between us, it was almost palpable.

I was relieved when the sub turned back on the lights at the end of the period. I stretched my rigid arms and legs, flexing my fingers and toes. He was still eyeing me cautiously.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing" he said quietly, grabbing his things. He stood and waited for me as I walked to the door. When I walked out the door, I was greeted by Alice, staring intently at the door from a few yards away. I turned to Jasper.

"What's Alice doing?" I asked him. She glared at Jasper. It sent chills down my spine.

"Probably checking to see if you're still alive," he said nonchalantly.

"What?!"

"I'm not perfect. She probably saw me killing you more than once during that class."

I ignored his statement purposefully. "How does it work?"

"She can see the future, but only as long as that person stays exactly the same. Once someone changes their mind, so does the future. Alice only sees the outcome of someone's decisions."

"So at one point you were considering just killing me? Great."

"You don't understand how unbelievably hard this is for me." He muttered weakly.

We reached the gym, I muttered an awkward goodbye. He muttered his, just before leaving in the direction of his next class. I noticed Mike, watching me suspiciously the whole period. He finally approached me towards the end of class.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with Hale," he said apprehensively. I was in no mood.

"So Mike? He's my friend. Are you jealous or something? Do you want to be friends with one of the Cullens too? I think I could arrange that if you like," I said, voice full of menace.

"Goodness, I was just saying. You don't have to bite my head off." He said defensively.

"What an ass," he said walking off. Good riddance. I felt no remorse for my words, though I probably would later.

When I exited the gym, it was storming violently. I didn't think I'd be riding with Jasper. I'd walk home if I had to. I got to the parking lot and was surprised to see my truck sitting in my usual parking spot. I ran to it, hopping inside. On the passenger's seat, there was a note. I recognized Jasper's elegant script from Biology.

* * *

_I know you probably wouldn't want to ride with me, so I brought you your truck. There is nothing I can say or do to excuse what happened today. I hope to make it up to you soon. Alice say's I will and I trust her. All I can say now is that I'm really sorry._

—_Jasper _

* * *

Wow…I listened to the rain hitting my windshield as I let that sink in. I realized I was cold, so I started the car, turned on the heat and headed home.

That night I read his note over and over. I finally put it in the drawer on my desk before going to bed. My recurring dream once again hindered my sleep. This time even more things were different.

* * *

"I know what you want," he said. I felt my heart flutter. He could probably read my mind as well as Edward could. "Calm down."

"What?" I looked into his golden eyes. His honey blonde hair fell in casual disarray around his angelic face. He smiled playfully.

He leaned in slowly. I froze, heart racing. He stopped, and I felt my system slow down as my breathing slowed and my thoughts became clearer. He closed the distance between us. He was swift and cautious, pulling back before I had even come out of shock.

I thawed out, and leaned in to kiss him again. I wanted more. I looked up at his beautiful eyes. He placed his hands on my shoulders, holding me back.

"I can't do this, it's not right," he muttered. Again, he was gone…

It felt like I had been punched in the gut as I stared after him. I wasn't sure which way he had gone, so I couldn't follow…

* * *

When I pulled into school, I was surprised to see both the Volvo and the convertible. I saw Edward, Alice, and Jasper riding in the Volvo; Rosalie and Emmet riding in the shiny convertible.

I turned my attention away from them, grabbing my backpack to get out of the car. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw a tall girl with golden hair flowing down her back walking up to me. Her skin was the same pale shade as Jasper's, and her face was prettier than any model I had ever seen. Her eyes were black as coals, and a look of seriousness clouded her expression.

"Hello Devin," she said, her voice was cold and business-like, but it still reminded me of birds singing.

"Hello Rosalie," I muttered shyly. She gave a curt smile.

"Devin, please don't be angry with Jasper, he's had the most difficult time dealing with this…If you only knew. With you being his singer and all, I'm surprised you're alive right now. I'm sorry but I have to get this off my chest, because quite frankly I'm tired of Jasper's sulking. I mean it's not like he was the life of the party or anything before, but at least he was there! So please stop being so melodramatic. It's starting to get annoying."

She turned on her heel and strode back towards her car. I sat there for a moment, blinking. _What just happened?_ I wondered if all the Cullens hated me, or if it was just her.

My mind kept wandering all day and I couldn't concentrate much on class. At lunch, I noticed that Jasper was sitting with his family. I sheepishly walked over to sit with Angela and the rest of my friends. Mike made no move to include me in conversation, which suited me, because I wrapped up in my own thoughts.

I couldn't try to get Jasper's attention because he was sitting with his back to me. He was slouched over his plate, picking lazily at the food. Rosalie caught me looking in their direction and gave me the most terrifying glare I had ever seen. I quickly started looking at another table.

The bell rang. I was afraid to face Jasper in biology. He would probably be ignoring me…after all, I was being overly irrational. I hurried out of the cafeteria, luckily avoiding the Cullens.

I sat down in biology with my heart racing. Jasper was quietly reading a book in the seat next to me. He looked up when I sat down. I resisted the urge to look away in shame.

"I'm sorry about Rosalie. She can be a bit abrasive at times," he said quietly.

"Its okay, I deserved it. I'm so sorry I was so stupid yesterday. You're right. I have no idea what you're going through. That was insensitive of me. Please forgive me?" At this point I _needed_ him in my life. He looked down at the table. The seconds ticked by as he tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, leaving little imprints where his fingers were. The suspense was driving me insane.

"You are forgiven," he said with a smile.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you," I said gratefully. He nodded, turning his attention to Mr. Banner, who had already started class. I reluctantly turned my attention towards the board and began taking notes.

I was taking notes when I noticed a folded sheet of paper appear next to my notebook. I looked up at Jasper but he was attentively taking notes. I opened the paper to see his elegant script.

_Are you busy this weekend?_

I quickly scrawled out my response

_No why?_

Before I could turn my attention back to my notes, he had already slid the note back to me.

_I want to take you somewhere._

My heart fluttered at the idea, but I still didn't understand.

_Where?_

This time I watched as he wrote with inhuman speed.

_It's a surprise._

That sent my heart racing even faster.

_Sure__. _I wrote, trying to appear nonchalant. He smiled when he read the paper. Then, I found it really hard to concentrate. I felt the invisible lightning between us reappeared, and I started to get jittery. I tapped my foot and kept glancing at the clock, waiting for the tension to lift. Finally, the bell rang and we both grabbed our stuff and left the class.

"So, about this weekend, can I drive? I actually enjoy living."

"Says the boy who hangs out with a blood-sucking vampire,' he whispered.

I laughed. "Please? Your driving scares me."

"I'll think about it," he replied playfully.

I couldn't keep myself from smiling.

"You should tell your dad that you'll be with me Saturday," he said quietly.

"Why," I whispered.

"The more people that know, the better…It gives me a reason to bring you back."

"I trust you," I told him casually. He turned and stared at me. He sighed, and then turned back towards the front of the room.

"You're really not afraid are you?" he said in a tone of awe.

"You would know," I replied with a smirk. He chuckled under his breath.

Jasper was waiting for me outside the gym after seventh period. He walked me to my car, and then went back to the shiny silver Volvo.

That evening, when Steven got home, he called me from upstairs claiming to have a surprise for me. I got downstairs, and froze in shock. Sitting on the counter, right in front of me, was a cell phone box. I stood there in shock for a few seconds.

"Thank you Dad!!" I screamed, attacking him with a hug. I released him so I could check out the phone. It was an LG flip phone, and I was satisfied. My mom wouldn't let me have a phone. She claimed I didn't need one, but I think she was just too stingy to get me one. I went upstairs to put it on the charger so I could use it tomorrow. Then I took a shower, and started on some homework. About half-way through, I started thinking about Jasper. Then I started wondering if my obsession was unhealthy. I decided that it didn't really matter to me if it was unhealthy or not, I needed to be near him.

A/N: Sigh, this chapter looks so much better on word. i used pretty fonts :). The song used in the last chapter is _Closer To You – Young Love. _I forgot to add that to the last author's note (I've been getting lazy with them). It's truly an amazing song. I still haven't titled this chapter, which means that the title will probably be really stupid haha. Ooh! I just thought of something really good. Okay, the next chapter will not get posted until I have at least 5 new reviewers. So tell your friends! :D

Man, do I love drama…And I Love You Too!

**Review or Die!**

_-Kevyncito_


	7. Meadow

A/N: I guess i'll let it slide with four new reviewers...Hope you like it! ENJOY! (3

Chapter 7: The Meadow

I woke to the sound of my phone vibrating on floor next to my bed. I picked it up and saw Angela's picture on the front. Tuesday at lunch, the whole posse passed my phone around, taking pictures and programming in their numbers. Then they proceeded to take loads of crazy pictures, most of which I deleted. Wednesday, Jasper got a cell phone of his own. He told me that Alice had insisted that it was about time they all got shiny new iPhones. I was super jealous. Since I got my phone, people—for reasons unknown—felt the need to call me. Calls from Jessica, and Angela were fine, but when I got calls from people like Mike, and Tyler, I got annoyed.

"Hello?" I muttered sleepily.

"Wake up!" she yelled, making me wince. "You can't be late for school!"

"I'm up, I'm up."

"Alright, see you at school sweetheart!" she said energetically ending the call. I yawned, and stretched, and yawned some more. Then finally, I got up to start my day. When I noticed what day it was, I immediately was overcome with happiness. I hopped around my room listening to my ipod while I was getting dressed. When I looked out my window, I saw Jasper leaning on the side of the Volvo. I quickly ran down the stairs, grabbing a granola bar for breakfast, and ran out the door.

"You're in a good mood," he said, seeming slightly amused.

"It's Friday," I replied cheerfully getting in the car. I looked at his glorious face again, enjoying his beauty.

"You always brighten my day," he said dreamily.

"Why?" I asked, my voice squeaking a half-octave too high.

"You're emotions always…make me happy." He said, speeding towards the school.

"I'm taking that as a compliment," I said, a giant smile plastered on my face.

We reached the school, and parked next to the red BMW. He rolled down my window and I saw Alice approaching the car. _Oh, god. _She looked cheerful enough as she gracefully walked towards the car, so I calmed down…or maybe that was Jasper's doing. She leaned into my window, and I caught wind of the beautiful flowery scent that enveloped her.

"Hey Jazz, Hey Devin. Jazz, are we still going hunt later?" she said, her voice beautiful like Rosalie's, but less angry.

"Jazz?" I asked amusedly.

"Nickname." He stated plainly. "Yes, Alice, we are."

"Then how is Devin getting home? I doubt Rosalie is gonna be willing to take him. And I doubt you would let her. She still hasn't forgiven him."

"You talk too much Alice. I'll just go pick up his truck before we leave."

"You're leaving?" I asked, trying to keep up with their conversation.

"Yes, after lunch. He wants to take every precaution possible. It's in his nature to worry. You should have see-"

"That's enough Alice," he said, cutting her off. "See you later, bye!"

She glared at him. "Bye baby brother," she said mockingly as she walked away just as gracefully as before.

"The bell's about to ring," he informed me.

I sighed, reluctant to leave his presence. "I'll see you at lunch."

"Yep, see you," he said, getting out of the car. I followed suit, getting out the car with much less grace.

I was surprised by how boring school was when Jasper wasn't involved. It seemed like he was the only thing I _knew_ how to think about. All day I had been spewing wrong answers. Once, I even raised my hand (having the correct answer on the tip of my tongue) just to think of Jasper and lose my train of thought.

I was glaring at the clock, trying hard to make the last five minutes before lunch disappear. It wasn't working. I sighed and gave up. My Spanish teacher had stopped teaching, so I laid my head on the desk. Letting my mind wander, I started wondering where he could be taking me…

Finally, the bell rang. I grabbed my stuff and darted out of the room before anyone else could get to the door. I rushed to the cafeteria, and was one of the first to get there. Then the Cullens made their entrance. All of them walked in, just as they did on the first day, with perfect grace and nonchalance. Jasper broke from the group and started walking towards where we usually sat…towards me.

"Hello," he said, his voice sounding as incredible as ever.

"Hey," I said with an ear to ear grin. Hundreds of questions started forming in my mind. Jasper seemed to understand as he looked at me suspiciously.

"Yes?" he asked. I picked the first question that came to my mind.

"Why does Rosalie still hate me?"

"It's not that she hates you. Most of her rant was out of frustration. She doesn't see why I didn't just let you live your normal, vampire-less life. And since she feels this way, Emmet does too." I looked past Jasper and towards the Cullens. I examined Emmet's strong beefy arms. I certainly did _not_ want to be on his bad side. "She'll get over it eventually, but right now she doesn't want to hate me, so she's putting the blame on you."

He saw my eyes widen, and chuckled.

"Don't worry. They won't hurt you. I wouldn't let them," he reassured me.

"So Alice and Edward don't hate me?" I asked, looking towards Alice.

"No, Alice and Edward actually like you."

That was a relief. At least someone was on my side…and if Edward could read minds…I saw him casually glance in my direction. I looked away quickly. Alice was staring blankly at the air in front of her. She broke from her trance to give me a look of wide-eyed disbelief. I looked around, confused as to what I had done. Then she gracefully rose from the table and drifted over to ours. She leaned over and whispered something into Jasper's ear. His facial expressions went from understanding, to incredulity, to anger, then back to normal. Alice glanced at me again and glided back to her table.

"What was that about?" I asked nervously.

"Oh nothing, Alice saw something," he said casually.

"What'd she see?" I asked him skeptically.

"Nothing important," he said, looking me in the eyes. I held his gaze, entranced by his now warm dark eyes. He released me from his gaze.

"You did that on purpose," I murmured.

"Maybe," he said smiling. Then I saw Alice and Edward walking towards us. I sighed. Edward was just as attractive as Jasper. His hair was a strange bronze color that seemed to work for him. I tried to keep my thoughts pure as they walked towards us. They reached the table and stood on either side of Jasper.

"Hey Devin," she said in her cheerful soprano. I tried to read her expression, but her shadowy eyes were unreadable.

"Hello Alice," I murmured shyly.

"Edward, Devin—Devin, Edward," Jasper introduced us, motioning his hand back and forth.

"Hello Devin," Edward said, with a crooked smiled that implied that he had been inside my brain. I found it hard to look him in the eyes.

"Um, hi" I said back.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked.

"Pretty much, I'll meet you at the car." He told them.

They walked hand in hand towards the cafeteria exit. I noticed several of the students stop to stare at them.

"Have fun?" I said, turning my attention back to Jasper.

He smiled. "I'll try. And you try not to have too much fun without me, okay?"

"Sure, I don't plan on any fun until tomorrow," I told him.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Whatever you say."

He rose from the table and fluidly walked away. I stared after him until he was gone.

I sat listlessly through biology, and faked sick in gym, watching the others from the bleachers. When the school day finally ended, I walked to the parking lot towards my truck. I opened the door and saw my keys in the ignition.

_How did he get into my house?!_

When I got home, the door was still locked, just like it was this morning. I shrugged it off. _I guess nothing's off limits when you're a vampire. _I went up stairs to take a nap. _Anything to make the tomorrow come faster. _Sleep came quicker than I thought it would, considering my level of excitement, but sure enough I was asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

I awoke to a strange light coming into my room. It wasn't the dim grey light that I had grown accustomed to; it was a brighter, more defined color. When I realized what this had to mean, I jumped up and ran to my window, flinging the curtains open to see the sun peeking out from a thin layer of clouds. Also, Steven was working today. I had a feeling that today was going to be a good day.

I dressed in a rush, grabbing a shirt and some shorts. I rushed downstairs, and grabbed a bowl of cereal. I quickly washed the bowl and spoon, keeping my eye on the clock the whole time. Then I ran back up the stairs to brush my teeth. I ran to the door and took a second to calm myself. I took a breath in, and slowly let it out.

I opened the door to see a shiny black car. The windows were pitch-black, so I couldn't see who was driving, although I had a pretty good idea of who it might be. I walked over to the passenger side of the car and got in. It smelled like new car. Sitting in the driver's seat, in all his glory, was Jasper Hale. He smiled widely at me when I got in the car.

"You like my new car?" he asked, still smiling.

"This is _your _car?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course, Edward got tired of me using his car for everything. So I got my own."

"Wow…"_It must be nice to be able to just buy a car on a whim._ "But, what are we going to do about my truck? Steven just about had a heart attack the last time I was gone without it."

"Alice," he replied simply, turning the key making the car purr to life.

He pulled out of the driveway and started speeding down the roads of Forks. I tried looking out of the windows, but they were tinted so dark that I could barely make out the trees we were speeding past. I was afraid to let down my window considering the speed at which we were traveling, so I just settled for watching Jasper.

I felt the car slow down and veer to the side of the road. I looked at Jasper in alarm.

"Umm, where are you taking me?!" I asked, hysteria slipping into my voice.

"Hiking," he said with a smirk.

"…I…don't…hike."

"It's only a few miles or so, and we've got all day."

"How do I know you aren't taking me into the woods just to kill me?"

"You don't," he replied with a grin.

I got out of the car and was suddenly glad I was wearing shorts. It was hotter today than it had ever been in Forks since I got there. I looked up and saw that the sun was hidden behind the thin veil of clouds I had seen earlier. I sighed. There was a trail before us, but Jasper started walking into the dark of the forest.

"Umm, where do you think you're going? There's a trail, you know."

"I see the trail, but where we're going, we won't need a trail." He said, his voice seeming to lure me in. He turned back towards the forest and plunged in. "This way,"

I quickly walked behind him, not wanting to get lost. It wasn't as bad as I had previously expected. Jasper held most of the jungle-y crap out of my way. And when we came to fallen trees, he would help me across them, sending my heart fluttering. Because of this, I tried my best to keep from looking at him. We walked in a tense silence the whole way, reminding me of the tension in the dark classroom.

Since I was fairly incompetent when it came to hiking, it took us most of the morning to reach our destination. The forest around us allowed for a very small amount of light, but Jasper seemed to know exactly where he was going. He was patient, and didn't complain when I said I needed a second to catch my breath.

While I was resting, the dark of the forest became less dim as the sun must have come out from under the clouds.

"Are we there yet?" I asked impatiently.

"Almost," he said, smiling. "Can't you see the brightness up ahead?"

I looked around me. "All I see is the brightness above me. Should I?"

"Maybe your _human _eyes can't see it yet," he teased.

"Stupid vampire," I muttered. He smiled.

After a few more yards, I _could_ see a light ahead. I noticed that even though I clunked noisily through the forest, Jasper made absolutely no sound as he maneuvered through the dense trees. Up ahead, I could see the source of light that called to me.

I stepped through the trees into what had to be the most beautiful place I had ever seen. The meadow was a small circle of soft grass with wildflowers spread sparsely through the field. When I looked up, I could see the sun shining gloriously down into the beautiful meadow. I walked into the center of it, and in the distance I could hear a stream flowing. I turned around to tell Jasper how beautiful it was when I noticed he wasn't there…

"Jasper?!" I called.

"I'm here," he said, sounding detached. I spun around to the sound of his voice, sighing in relief.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well…I don't burn in the sun, but…" he broke off.

"Well what?" I asked.

"I should just show you." He said reluctantly. He took a deep breath and stepped out into the sun.

I was in awe. I was awestruck. I literally had to remind myself to breathe. It was easily the most breathtakingly beautiful thing I had ever seen. His beautiful pale skin glittered and glowed in the sunlight, as if his skin were made of microscopic diamonds. He stepped towards me as I watched in a daze. He stopped walking, inches away from my face.

"Do I scare you?" he asked.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to." I replied breathlessly.

He smiled widely, his teeth shining in the sun. He sat down on the grass. I followed suit, not taking my eyes away from his glorious shining face.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, leaning closer. Once again, I could smell the intoxicating scent of his breath. It made my mouth water. I leaned in closer, breathing in the scent…wanting more.

He was gone. When my eyes focused, I saw that he was back behind the veil of the trees. He stared at me in a strange mix of sadness and alarm displayed in his golden eyes. I could feel the shock on my face, and he could probably feel it…

"I'm sorry…" he said. "Just give me a moment."

I sat quietly on the grass, hugging my knees to my chest. After a few seconds, he walked back over, stopping a few feet away. He descended gracefully to the ground, crossing his legs. He took a few deep breaths and then smiled.

"I'm really sorry, I wish I had better control." He said apologetically.

Then I felt a fresh wave of fear come over me. He turned his head, breaking the eye contact, feeling my fear. I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins.

"We're the worlds greatest predators aren't we?" he said thoughtfully. "Everything about us attracts you—my voice, my body, even my _smell!_ And we don't even need to use any of that!" He jumped up, running towards the forest, faster than my eyes could follow. I saw a blur of light circle me.

"You can't outrun us," he laughed.

He stopped beside a tree, and then pulled a branch effortlessly from the trunk. He threw it over my head at another tree on the other side of the meadow, causing it to burst into pieces. I scrambled to my feet, instinct preparing me to run, when I realized what Jasper had just said.

I turned around, and he appeared in front of me. Inches away.

"As if you could fight me off," he whispered gently.

I stood frozen in fear before him. I couldn't help thinking about how marvelously beautiful he was. His eyes glowed with bizarre exhilaration. Then they slowly melted into a look of deep remorse.

"I'm sorry. Don't be afraid." He murmured. It didn't reassure me. "I won't hurt you. I don't want to. I want you to be safe…I'm so sorry…" he trailed off, muttering to himself.

I sank back to the ground, hugging my knees, unable to stand any longer. He also fell to the ground, watching me the whole time with cautious eyes. I worked on calming myself. Jasper seemed to realize this. Either that or he just wanted me to calm down because soon I felt the tension leave my body.

"Don't worry, I'm not thirsty or anything. I just lost control for a little bit…please forgive me? It won't happen again." He said calmly.

I couldn't bring myself to speak. I was afraid my voice would crack or I'd break free of the shroud of calmness that surrounded me. I rocked back and forth, looking down at the grass, unable to hold his gaze.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, reaching out to put his cold hand on my shoulder. I stopped rocking, and then looked from his hand to his warm eyes. I smiled timidly.

He smiled back, his eyes, his hair, his teeth, glowing in the sunlight.

"What are you thinking?" he asked again.

"Even though I'm afraid, I'm more afraid of you leaving…" I muttered.

"This is why I _should_ be leaving. We crave each other far too much, but I promised you that I wouldn't leave and that's a promise I hope to keep."

"What?" I marveled. He had said we _craved_ each other. What did he mean by that?

"I said I'm not leaving," he replied quietly.

"No, not that, what did you say about us…craving…each other? I asked hesitantly.

"Do you deny that you want me?"

"No…you…_want..._me?"

"I hope you weren't under the impression that I only lusted for your blood," he said, leaning in closer. I couldn't tell whether his voice was seductive on purpose or not. Either way, I couldn't breathe.

"This is why," he continued. "You are in more danger than anyone else." He was looking intensely into my eyes. I sat with my mouth agape, trying desperately to make my lungs start working again.

"Is that why you left?" I asked, remembering his disappearance when I first came to Forks.

"Yes, when I saw you at lunch, I froze. Alice said she saw so many things happen so fast that the only thing she could think to do was tell me to get the hell out of there before I massacred everyone. Then, in biology, I thought I could handle it…Big mistake. Then I took a little road trip to clear my head…" he trailed off.

"I knew it was me…" I muttered under my breath.

"You?!" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, me…"

"No, it was my fault that I had so little control…that I couldn't stand to be close to you because I wanted to so much…You smelled _so_…_appealing_."

I shivered. I stood and started pacing, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just thinking…" I muttered.

"Tell me what you're thinking." he said eagerly, rising to his feet.

"Why did you run away from me before?" I asked.

"You couldn't tell?" he said, his tone was serious.

"No, what did I do wrong?"

"Well…it was just how close you were. I could _smell_ the blood…_hear_ it pumping through your veins…I was unprepared…"

"Okay, so don't get too close?" I asked.

"No, it's not that, I was just taken by surprise." He smiled.

"Hmm…" _I wonder…_

"Yes?" he asked, eagerly taking a step forward. He was just a few feet in front of me.

"So…" I said, choosing my words carefully, "you like me right?"

"Yes," he said in his effortlessly smooth voice.

"Like really like me, right?" I asked, still unsure.

"I'm attracted to you if that's what you mean." He said, making my heart flutter.

"Okay…I want to tr-try something…"

"Like what?"

"…like a kiss maybe?" I asked shyly.

He smiled. That was reassuring. I was feeling a bit more confident. Then, his smile faded as his expression became more thoughtful.

"I'm not sure if I have that much restraint." He said, still thinking.

"Please, we can at least try, and if things don't work ou-"

"You die…" he informed me.

He looked at me, probably gauging my emotions with his unusual talent. I wasn't sure what expression was on my face.

"Okay, let's hope I don't kill you." He said with a sigh. He smiled again, "You really shouldn't be so happy about this."

"That whole power thing is going to get annoying," I informed him. I took a step forward, still a bit apprehensive. I looked into his eyes as they gazed into mine. Slowly, he leaned in and our lips met. His lips were cold and smooth, moving cautiously against mine. I felt a chill roll down my spine.

Unexpectedly, I felt warm all over. I reached around and put my hand in his hair, trying to pull him closer. Not being able to get enough of this amazing experience.

I felt him freeze beneath my grasp. Then, I felt his hand firmly grab my wrist and remove my hand from the back of his head. I opened my eyes to see his golden eyes filled with fear and apprehension.

"Uh, oops," I said, still a bit dazed.

"Oops doesn't even begin to cover it, this is your life we're risking your…give me another moment." He said, running into the forest for the second time.

Then I saw him reappear at the edge of the trees, walking towards me.

"Jasper, I'm really sorry." I said, filled with remorse.

"You don't seem to value your life as much as I do, but its okay. Just try to give me some kind of warning next time, okay?" he asked. I couldn't concentrate, captivated by the thought of there being a next time.

"Devin? You okay?"

"Uh, yeah, just a little umm…stunned." I told him truthfully.

"Were my kissing skills that good?" he asked, laughing.

"Dazzling" I told him sarcastically.

This was all so shocking for me. I had just kissed _Jasper Hale._ And he wanted me to…_wow…_

He stood there, staring at me. It made me uncomfortable. I looked up at the sky, the sun was setting. The light in the meadow was fading, and the golden light had faded to grey.

"Time to go?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I guess…" he said reluctantly. "Can I show you something?"

"Show me what?"

"Can I show you how _vampires_ get through the forest?" he said eagerly.

"You don't turn into a giant bat do you?" I asked warily.

He laughed. "I told you already, _all _myth."

"Just making sure."

"Okay, get on my back."

I just looked at him, waiting for a 'just kidding' or a 'gotcha!' or something, but then I realized he was serious. He held out his arm, and I looked at him skeptically. He smiled reassuringly.

"I won't hurt you, and it'll be a lot faster than hiking all the way back," he said persuasively.

"Fine," I sighed.

He slung me on his back effortlessly and I clung to him for dear life. I wrapped my hands around his icy cold neck, and pressed my knees into his sides. Though I'm sure I should have been choking him, he didn't show any signs of discomfort.

"Ready?" he asked excitedly.

He didn't wait for my answer as he started running. He darted through the trees faster than a bullet. I couldn't hear his feet, just the rustle of leaves around us. Limbs and branches passed around me at lethal speeds, but he maneuvered around them gracefully. I closed my eyes, and rested my head on his back, fearing to keep my eyes open any longer. I felt calmness wash over me, and I got more confident, raising my head up to see the edge of the trees up ahead. What had taken us hours to hike, took him minutes to run.

"That was fun wasn't it?" he asked excitedly as I awkwardly descended from his back.

"Umm, sure…" I said, feeling the veil of calmness leaving me.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I just need to sit still for a second." I crouched down on the ground, putting my head between my knees.

"I'm sorry, that was a bad idea." he said. He sounded so close. I lifted my head to see him crouched in front of me, his face inches away from mine. He reached out his hand, offering to help me up. I grasped his icy hand as he gently pulled me up. He didn't let go of my hand as he led me to the car, opening the door and making sure I was able to get in. I turned on my side in the car, resting the side of my face on the cold seat. A second later, Jasper was starting the car. He turned and smiled at me, reaching out his hand to brush it against my cheek. The coolness felt good against my warm skin. Then we started speeding back towards Forks.

A/N: OMJ! I absolutely _loved _writing this chapter. And I love my new reviews!! : D.

Link to Jasper's car on my profile page! :)


	8. MouthRape

Chapter 8:

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I promise it won't take that long ever again…hopefully.

Chapter 8: Mouth-Rape?

"Tell me more about you," I asked. "…more about your past."

He turned to me with eyes full of anguish. I couldn't stand to see him looking that way. I looked away shamefully.

"…I'm sorry…you don't have to tell me if you don't want to…" I muttered apologetically.

He smiled uneasily.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but how about we wait until we get you home?"

"Okay," I whispered. I still felt really bad about asking about his past. I didn't want to bring it up if it was a touchy subject. I felt the car stop and Jasper turned once again to look at me. My gaze hadn't once left his face. He smiled again, this time it looked more genuine.

"Are you coming in?" I asked hopefully.

He didn't reply, he just took off his seatbelt and exited the car. He led the way to the door silently, and opened the door before I could reach for my key.

"It was unlocked?"

"No, I used the spare key," he said nonchalantly.

"That's creepy," I told him. "Don't you vampires respect people's privacy?"

I stepped in the house and turned on the lights. He followed me and sat in a chair at the counter.

"It's not like I spied on you or anything, now _that's _creepy. The only time I've been in your house is to get your keys."

I walked over to the fridge, getting out some leftovers to eat. I put them in the microwave before turning my focus back to Jasper.

"You want anything?" I asked jokingly.

He laughed. "Lucky for you, I'm not hungry, see?" He widened his eyes showing me exactly how golden and beautiful they were. Then he turned his head as if he had heard something in the other room.

"Your father is around the corner, should he know I'm here?"

"No…oh shit, your car!"

"Don't worry, I'll go move it." He whispered with a smile. "I'll be in your room."

Then I was alone in the kitchen, hearing the faint sound of the lock on the door clicking as he left. I didn't hear him move his car, but seconds later, I heard the sound of Steven's cruiser pulling into the driveway. I heard the faint creak of my bedroom window, then my father's key turning in the door.

"Devin?" he called.

"In the kitchen," I replied hastily. I hoped he didn't hear the anxiety in my voice. I turned to the microwave, getting my food out and avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"Fine, I just went to the library, did a little homework. Nothing too exciting," I lied. I quickly guzzled down my food, barely taking time to chew.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Understatement," I replied. "Hungry and tired." I added to the lie.

"You seem pretty jumpy to me," he said skeptically. "It's Saturday. You don't have any plans or anything?"

"Nope, I just wanna get some sleep." I insisted.

"Not sneaking out to meet someone are you?"

"What?! No, Dad, really, goodness." _He's already here!_

I made my way to the stairs.

"Night Dad," I called as I went up the stairs.

"Night, kiddo," he called after me. I knew he'd be sneaking up to check on me later.

I slowed dramatically as I went up the stairs, trying to sound tired as I went. When I got to my room, I cracked the door and peeked in, looking for Jasper. I didn't see him so I creeped slowly into my room, closing the door behind me.

"Jasper?" I whispered.

"Devin?" he whispered. I did a double take as he appeared on my bed.

"What the hell!" I whispered.

"What?" he asked obliviously.

"How did you do that? Are you invisible?"

He laughed quietly. "No, just fast."

"You scared the life out of me."

"Sorry, need me to calm you down?" he said teasingly.

"No, I'll survive. Besides, that gets annoying. You toying with my emotions and what not."

"Would you like me to stop?"

"Yes please, only do that when it's necessary." I said politely.

"As you wish."

"Okay, I have a few mortal things to take care of, I'll be right back."

"Go right ahead," he said lying back on my bed. On my bed. On _my_ bed. On MY bed. It took me a few seconds before I was able to look away.

"Don't go anywhere," I said, trying to sound stern.

"Sir, yes sir," he said with a smirk. I glared at him before grabbing some pajamas and leaving the room quietly.

I hurriedly brushed my teeth, checking twice to make sure there was nothing in my teeth. I jumped in the shower, relaxing beneath the warmth of the water. I tried not to think about Jasper sitting in my room waiting for me. I knew that if I did, I'd get all wound up again. I shut off the water, dressed quickly, and then rushed down the stairs to say goodnight to Steven. I stopped a few steps early preparing myself mentally to seem tired. I peeked around the stairs and into the living room.

"Night, Dad."

"Night, Devin." I tried not to laugh at his stunned expression. Hopefully he would no longer feel the need to come and check on me.

I rushed quietly back up the stairs and dashed back into my room, closing the door quietly behind me. Jasper was still sitting on the edge of my bed, still as a statue.

I walked over to him and waved my hand in front of his face jokingly.

"Alive in there?" I asked.

"Technically? No…" he said with a smirk.

"You know what I mean," I said, crossing to the other side of the bed, sitting cross-legged beside him.

"My dad thinks I'm sneaking out…"

"Yeah, you're not very good at acting 'hungry and tired'"

"You heard that?" I asked, in awe.

"I can hear a lot of things, your heartbeat for instancef."

This inevitably caused my heart to start speeding up. Then he put his hand behind my neck, and leaned his cold ear to my neck. This sent chills down my spine, and my heart rate spiked even higher.

"I can hear the blood pulsing through your veins…Mmmmm…" he said, sending the vibrations of his voice through my body.

"Are you okay? I mean how come you…can be this…close to me?" I finally managed to get out. Being so close to him was causing complications for my brain.

"It's easier, I think being around you all this time has made me desensitized. Don't worry, it'll be harder tomorrow. The longer I'm away from you, the harder it hits me." He slid his face up to my ear and let his lips rest there. I felt like I couldn't breathe, but somehow I managed.

"Don't go away then."

"Fine with me," he whispered in my ear. I pulled back, gently pushing him away.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked apologetically.

"No, that's just it. You're driving me insane," I told him, still trying to regulate my breathing.

He leaned in again and whispered seductively in my ear, "Really?"

I couldn't help myself. I started hyperventilating.

"You're teasing me," I told him breathlessly.

"Am I?" he asked playfully. As he said this, I felt him grow still. "Lie down!" he whispered in my ear before disappearing into the darkness.

_Oh shit! Steven!_

I hurried under the covers and turned my back to the door, trying desperately to slow my breathing. A few seconds later, I was able to hear Steven walking down the hall. I heard my door creak open slowly, and I shut my eyes despite the fact I had my back to him. He stood there for what seemed like minutes instead of seconds, and then I heard him slowly close the door.

Then, I felt Jasper's cold lips at my ears after he slid swiftly into the bed next to me.

"You should really invest in some acting lessons," he whispered softly into my ear.

"Thanks Jasper, ill get right on it," I replied sarcastically.

"Mmm, you smell really good."

I rolled over to face him, and eyed him skeptically.

"Are you okay, Jasper?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, and completely under control," he reassured me.

"Okay then, can I ask you more questions?" I asked uneasily, remembering the look on his face when I asked about his past.

He paused, then said," Anything you want to know."

"Okay, how many vampires are there in the world?" I asked, barely touching the humongous pile of questions I had in store for him.

"Well, there aren't a lot…but then again there are. It's hard to explain. There are covens all around the world, and there are even more nomads. In our…culture…it's normal to be nomadic to avoid suspicion. It's very rare for more than three of us to be together at the same time."

"Well what about yall? I mean, there are seven of you and you haven't drawn any suspicion."

"Like I said, it's extremely rare. There are no more than a dozen covens like ours in the world, and the reason we don't attract attention is because we don't feed on humans. That is rare too. The only other coven that shares Carlisle's beliefs are the Denali coven in Alaska."

"Who are they?" I asked.

"The Denali sisters are Tanya, Katrina, and Irina. They are the original succubi. They preyed on human men after they…had their way with them…and eventually their love of men began to make them feel sorry for them. That's when they decided to abstain. Carmen and her mate Eleazar are also part of the Denali coven, but they came later."

"Had their way with them?" I asked.

"Yes Devin, fornicati-"he started.

"I know that! But is it the same for vampires as it is for humans?"

"Yes, Devin, it's very much the same…why?" he asked, his tone becoming more inquisitive.

I hesitated. He gave me an appraising look. I could tell he was reading my emotions, and probably seeing a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment.

"I was wondering…about…you and me, someday?" I stammered.

"Devin, were you awake today?"

"It still feels kind of like a dream, so I'm not entirely sure. I'm still expecting to wake up and this all be a dream."

"I'll still be there when you wake up." He said tenderly. "But after what happened today in the meadow, I don't think I have that much control. And even if I did, I would probably kill you. I don't think you know how fragile you are to me. Every move I make around you is extremely slow for me. The slightest mistake and reaching out to touch your face could result in ripping your head off."

There was nothing I could say after that. I never thought about the extent of control that Jasper had to maintain around me. He was super fast and super strong, so I must feel like a slow and frail to him. I didn't like the thought of that. It made me feel like I wasn't enough for him.

"You haven't…_been_ with anyone, have you?" He asked hesitantly.

"No, Jasper. You were my first kiss…" I said quietly.

"Really?!" he asked enthusiastically.

"…yes Jasper…Have you been with anyone?" I asked, also cautious.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. I have had a kiss…but it hardly counts…" he trailed off, giving me an eye of suspicion.

"Why? Was it a girl?" I asked trying to sound nonchalant, even though I knew it was pointless.

"No…" he muttered quietly. "But it's not what you think!"

"What do you mean? I mean you've been around a lot longer than I have, I expect you to have some kind of experience at least." I reassured him.

"It's not what you think…it's…embarrassing actually." He said regretfully.

"Okay, I don't get it…"

"When I first came to the Cullens…I sort of…kind of had a crush on Edward…"

"He kissed you?!" I asked incredulously.

"No, I kissed him. We were hunting, and I let my instincts take over…"

"You mouth-raped your brother?!" I said, bursting into laughter.

"He's not really my brother! I'm over it now…" he whisper-shouted.

"That's hilarious! What did Alice do?"

"She was shocked, and she slapped me before telling me she loved me but to stay away from her boyfriend."

Then I was overtaken by a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Jasper glared at me with such intensity that I had to roll over and finish giggling before I could bear to look at him again. When I did, I couldn't help laughing again.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"Okay, I'm sorry Jazz, can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" I said mockingly.

"I'll think about it…" he said jokingly.

"So, umm…if we won't be doing _that_..." I began.

"Devin, I can barely kiss you…"

"How do you know that that's what I was talking about that? I could have been talking about something else…" I said defensively.

"Devin, No." he said, closing the subject. "You should get some sleep though, and get your mind _out_ of the gutter."

"Why? I wanna stay up all night like you! So much time is wasted on sleep."

It was true. I didn't want to go to sleep. Today was so amazing, so perfect, that I had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation for it. How could someone as extraordinary as Jasper Hale, one of the Cullens, like someone as plain as me? It seemed impossible.

"But, I don't want you to be a zombie tomorrow. That wouldn't be any fun."

"Why? What's going on tomorrow? I asked.

"You'll see," he said. I could tell I wasn't going to get any more info from him. I sighed.

"Can I at least have a kiss goodnight?" I asked hopefully.

"You're going to be the death of us both," he smiled.

"Excuse me?" I asked, once again confused by his puzzling words.

"At this point, I'm not sure I could live without you…I'd never forgive myself." He said thoughtfully.

I couldn't think of anything to say to that. We stared into each others eyes. Mine staring into liquid gold. His staring into warm brown. I don't remember how it started, but eventually we started kissing. He pulled me in closer to his cold body, kissing me more intensely. I could see what he meant when he said that being around me had desensitized him. There was no way he would have been able to do this earlier today.

The kiss was over before I was ready for him to stop. My head was spinning. He still held me close to him, pulling the comforter up so I would stay warm next to his cold body. Then he started humming a familiar tune, and I realized that it was "Take My Hand" by The Cab.

"That's one of my favorite songs," I told him quietly.

"I know," he said in between hums.

"How come?"

"I went through your ipod while you were in the shower." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay" I said, yawning more than speaking. I really was tired, and despite the unnatural cold, I felt extremely comfortable next to Jasper. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep in his arms.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I rolled over, stretched, and yawned. I blinked uneasily at the stream of light coming through my window. I felt the presence of something beside me and jumped when I saw Jasper looking up at me from the other side of my bed. Memories of the night before started flooding my mind as it all came back to me.

"I told you I'd still be here when you woke up," he said from beside me. I yawned again, rolled over to face him. I took in his beautiful blonde hair, his icy pale skin, and his incredible gold eyes.

"You're staring…," he reminded me quietly.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not as long as I get to stare too," he said with a smile.

Then we laid there, just staring into each other's eyes. This continued for several minutes, until my stomach started rumbling and I realized that I was hungry. Jasper followed me silently down the stairs as I went to the kitchen. Once we were down there I thought about my father.

"Where's Steven?" I asked.

"He left earlier to go fishing. He disconnected your battery too. Do you really not know how to reattach a car battery?"

I ignored his question. Something he said had triggered my memory, making me feel like there was something I was forgetting to do. I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, so it must not have been that important.

Jasper watched quietly from one of the barstools as I grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down at the barstool next to his. He rotated on his stool to watch me. To watch my every move…It was making me extremely self conscious.

"You're staring," I told him. He quickly looked down.

"Does it bother you?" he asked nervously.

"Eh. Just a little."

"Sorry, I just can't take my eyes off of you." He said as his liquid gold eyes, pierced into my soul. I swallowed my last bite of cereal and went to the sink.

"So, what did you have planned for today?" I asked, trying to get the focus away from myself. I finished washing my bowl and grabbed his hand to start pulling him up the stairs.

"Well, I was thinking…" he started.

"About?" I encouraged, still pulling him up the stairs.

"How do you feel about meeting my family?"

I stopped halfway up the stairs, and let go of his hand. I stopped for a second, and then I continued up the stairs to my room.

"What's wrong?" he asked, following me. I spun around to face him.

"Jasper, I don't think they like me very much. I mean, Rosalie…" I said, worriedly. The image of Rosalie's cold black stare flooded my memory, making me shudder slightly.

"Devin, Rosalie has no problems with you. She was just having a…rough day that day, and she felt like she was standing up for me. She was only being a good sister. I guarantee you that no one has a problem with you."

"Okay, well…aren't you afraid of me being in a house full of vampires?" I asked.

"If you can survive around me, you can survive around them. Trust me, I'm the one who has the most-" He stopped for a second, staring off into space. "Trouble with being around humans."

Just the thought of meeting the Cullens was making me nervous. You would be nervous too if you had to meet a family of vampires. I've seen what they can do. I've seen Jasper rip a tree up by the roots. Emmet could probably do a whole lot worse…

"I'll be right back," I told him, escaping to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, noticing my startled features. This was still a bit unbelievable. _Mythical creatures? Are we serious here?_ I felt like my brain was going to self-implode any second. I brushed my teeth, and splashed my face with water in an effort to calm myself down. I went back to my room. Jasper was sitting in the office chair next to my computer. I went nervously to my closet.

"I was thinking…"

"Again?!" I said hysterically.

"Yes, I was thinking that you should introduce me to your father."

"Oh, he knows you already." I said, relieved.

"Not as your boyfriend…" he muttered quietly.

For the second time, I froze.

"What?" I asked with a slight hysterical edge to my voice.

"I'm not exactly sure how this works, but I am your boyfriend, am I not?"

"If you want to be…but why do we have to tell Steven?"

"Well, he's going to figure it out sooner or later. I'm gonna be around here a lot, and I'm sure he'll get suspicious."

"Umm…okay. I guess…" I thought of Steven's reaction. Would he be angry? Would he kick me out? Would he hit me? I started to worry. Jasper appeared in front of me.

"Everything will be fine, I promise." He said quietly. "Now get dressed, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" I asked wearily.

"To get my car, change, and make sure the house is in order. It should only take a few seconds."

I felt my heart rate start to speed up again.

"Bye," I mumbled, and he was gone. I turned to my closet, and looked for something to wear. I settled for a black dress shirt and some jeans. I dressed quickly, and rushed down the stairs to see Jasper sitting on the hood of his car through the window. I grabbed my keys and rushed out of the house, locking the door behind me. I opened the passenger door to his car and slid into the seat.

"You look really nice." He told me. "You ready?"

"Thanks. Not really. You're probably going to have to calm me down before we get there." I told him.

"How about like this?" he said, leaning in bringing his face closer to mine. I slowly inhaled his intoxicating scent. Then he gently pressed his cool lips to mine. I felt a sensory overload. I felt like my nerves were standing on end as I got goose bumps from head to toe. Then I felt a calmness wash over me, making my heart slow, and my breathing become steady. He broke the kiss, and I leaned back in my seat.

"That works," I said contentedly.

He smiled and backed out of the driveway, bounding down the street. After a while I noticed that we were heading out of Forks entirely. He drove down a long road with the forest on both sides.

We turned onto a gravel road that was hidden between the trees. I assumed this long road through the forest was his driveway. At the end of the road was a large circular stretch of grass. In the middle of the meadow was a beautiful white _mansion_. It had three stories with long beautiful pillars in the front. We got out of the car and I marveled once more at the beauty of the house. I could hear water flowing and birds chirping in the distance.

"It's _beautiful." _

"You like it?" he asked, smiling.

"It's amazing!" I replied. He appeared next to me, grabbing my hand.

"Make sure to tell Esme that. This is all her doing." He said, as he started walking us towards the house.

"Jasper, are you sure…" I said once we got to the door.

"I promise everything will be fine." He said, lightly squeezing my hand.

I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready."

He opened the door, and led me into the Cullen mansion.


	9. Vampire Byte 1

A/N: This is just a little side story. I plan to write others, but only when i have spare time from writing actual chapters. If you want me to write more, or have any suggestions, Just Review and i'll gladly assist you! Hope you enjoy!! :))

-**_Kevyncito_**

* * *

I closed my eyes, opening my senses. I could hear the river babbling behind me. I could hear the rustle of deer traveling in the forest ahead of me. I could faintly hear the girl Rosalie, and her mate Emmet discussing us. Alice told me I would soon see the icy blonde as a sister, but I couldn't see that happening anytime soon. I could hear Alice's calm breathing beside me. She had been my hunting partner ever since we decided to start our expedition to the Cullens. I could also hear his breathing…

"Ready?" he asked. I tried to keep my mind away from the thought of his voice, which was beautiful even for a vampire. Alice had told me, using her prophetic power, about his enhanced abilities. With his and mine, I figured we were meant for each other.

"Ready when you are," Alice cheerfully replied. Then we sprinted into the forest. I could tell he was holding back on speed so that we could keep up.

I could see the group of deer many meters ahead of us. I could feel the burn in my throat as I thought of the satisfaction of their blood. My throat burned even more when I thought of the even greater satisfaction I could get from human blood. I saw Edward give me a cautious glance from the corner of his eye. I smiled and waved, trying to seem nonchalant about my slight mishap of the mind. _Don't want them to worry about me..._

We got to the deer quickly. They didn't even hear us coming. I heard Alice give a bubbly giggle as she pounced onto the first deer, like an owl catching a field mouse. Edward sped up and hurdled onto a deer like a lion, tearing ferociously at its throat. I waited, calculating my movements. I felt my instincts start to take control. I felt almost like a newborn again…it brought back terrible memories. A vicious snarl ripped from my chest almost involuntarily as I leaped onto an older, stronger stag lunging for its jugular. The struggling, twitching animal was nothing compared to my strength. I felt the warm blood satiating the dry burning in my throat. I felt the warmth of the blood coarse through my dry veins. I finished with that one, and dropped it to chase a doe through the forest. It was no match for my speed. I quickly began to feed on it too. I could sense Edward feeding next to me. I marveled at how neat an eater he was.

Suddenly, my thoughts turned lustful. My predator instincts took over, and instead of pouncing on another deer, I pounced on Edward. We rolled on the ground until I had him pinned under me. Millions of questions stared back at me in his eyes. Then, without thinking, I kissed him.

He was unresponsive, but couldn't move beneath my grasp. And to be quite perfectly honest, I didn't care. I instinctively used my power to calm him, and I felt his lips relax a little. I was ferociously kissing him, not caring about anything else at all. My multifaceted mind was for the first time fully concentrated on one thing.

Suddenly I felt impact and heard a deafening crash. I felt something grab my arms and pull me away from him. I couldn't tell which side was up as I was carried at top speed into the forest. Alice. I admit, I had felt some pretty interesting feelings when Alice saw Edward, but I guess at the time, I wasn't exactly thinking…

I could hear the trees whooshing past us as she let go and started to drag me by my arm across the forest floor. I listened, but didn't hear Edward following us. He was probably headed back to the house. Alice let go of me once we were deep into the woods. I felt her grab me and stand me up. Her strength was surprising, seeing as I had never seen her use it. Then her face was inches in front of mine. I felt her small hand come across my face with the force of a semi at full speed.

"Jasper fucking Hale." Her tone was downright terrifying, and I've seen some pretty terrifying things. "What was that?! Edward is _**mine!**_You should know this! I love you like a brother, but if I so much as see the _possibility_ of you touching him again, I'll burn you _myself." _She released me from her iron grip, and took a few steps back. She took a deep breath, and then dusted herself off.

"Wow…I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry, Alice. That was uncalled for. It won't happen again." I felt the shame of my current situation slowly creep upon me. Going back was going to be hard.

"Everything will be fine," Alice reassured me. She took hold of my hand and we ran through the forest, back towards the Cullens. We emerged from the forest, hopped over the river, and into the Cullen's backyard.


	10. The Cullens, My Dad, and Baseball

A/N: So, I should really read over the chapters before I post them. But anyways, I went back and fixed a few things. Heh heh. Anyways, here's Chapter 9, entitled The Cullens, My Dad, And Baseball.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Cullens, My Dad, and Baseball.

The inside of the house was amazing. The first thing I noticed was that the entire back wall seemed to be made of glass. I could immediately see the wide lawn stretching out to the river. The first floor only had a few walls, because most of them had been knocked out, making a large open space. There was a gigantic spiral staircase dominating one of the corners.

There was a large grand piano sitting on a raised platform to the left of the door. Standing next to the door were who had to be Jasper's "parents" because I had never seen them before. I looked at Carlisle and immediately my mouth fell open. He was blonde, pale, and he looked like a movie star! He looked more like an older brother than a father figure. At his side was Esme, I assumed. She had caramel colored hair, a motherly, heart-shaped face. They both shared the pale skin and gorgeous features that all vampires must have. They smiled kindly at me, but made no other movements. Probably trying not to startle me.

"Carlisle, Esme, This is Devin." Jasper said, introducing us.

"Welcome," Carlisle said, taking a small step forward and extending his hand tentatively. I stepped forward and shook his cold hand.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen."

"You can call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle" I said, smiling. Esme then stepped forward and reached for my hand. She had the same cold grasp as the others.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you too. You have a very beautiful home."

She laughed the sound of bells. I was sure it was the most beautiful laugh I had ever heard.

"Thank you, Devin" she said with a gracious smile.

"Alice? Edward?" Jasper said quietly. I knew they would hear him from anywhere in the giant house.

"Hey, Jasper!" Alice called from the top of the staircase. Then there was a flash of black and white as she appeared in front of me and Jasper. Carlisle and Esme both had looks of pure terror on their face. I laughed. Jasper simply sighed.

"Hi, Devin!" she said, before giving me a kiss on the cheek. I smelled the same flowery scent around her that I had smelled the day she leaned into Edward's car. Carlisle and Esme's eyes grew even wider. My eyes were wide too, but I was also happy that she seemed to approve of me.

Then I saw Edward walking slowly (for him) down the stairs. He walked up to us and shook my hand.

"Hello, Devin. Nice to meet you." He said with a tone that said _I've been in your mind._ He smirked and released my hand and took a step back to stand next to Alice.

"Nice to see you again Alice, and nice to meet you Edward." I said shyly.

"Rosalie? Emmet?" Jasper said.

I looked up at the staircase again and saw Rosalie and Emmet walking arm and arm down the stairs, looking like a glamorized fairytale. She looked beautiful with her flowing golden hair. He looked like a body builder/football player. They were perfect for each other. Once they got to the base of the stairs, Rosalie approached me.

"Hello Devin," she said, extending a hand I was terrified to shake.

I shook her hand, and then Emmet came forward, a huge grin on his face.

"So you're the one?" He laughed. "Hi, I'm Emmet. Welcome to the family."

He kept laughing. I felt like I was missing a joke. I looked at Jasper, but he was glaring fiercely at Rosalie. She was glaring directly back at him. The intensity of their stares made me think they'd attack each other at any moment. I was startled when Rosalie started to approach me for the second time.

She sighed. "I'm really sorry about that day I went off on you." I could tell she wasn't used to making apologies. It didn't look like her favorite thing to do.

"Its okay, it's n-nice officially to meet you two" I said shyly.

"We'll let Jasper show you around the house," Esme said with a kind smile. The next second Jasper and I were alone.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Jasper asked with a smile.

"I guess not, but I still get the feeling Rosalie doesn't like me…" I could have sworn I heard a hearty laugh from upstairs…probably Emmet. Grr.

"Rosalie doesn't dislike you. She just didn't want to apologize about being a bitch. Now, don't get me wrong, she doesn't like you, but she doesn't dislike you." He explained.

"Emmet?"

"Emmet is still waiting for a reason to approve of you or not. Apparently my approval isn't enough." I could tell that he was talking more to his brother upstairs than me towards the end of that statement.

"Esme and Carlisle?"

"Carlisle and Esme are just happy to see me happy. I am the only one in the house that hasn't had a love interest, so they're happy that I have finally found someone." I smiled at the thought of me being his 'love interest'.

"Alice and Edward?" I continued.

He hesitated. I started to worry.

"I mean they seemed to like me! Please don't tell me they don't like me!"

This time I was sure I heard Edward laugh from upstairs.

"Trust me, they like you the most out of anyone in the house." He said. I thought I could hear a bitter edge to his voice, but I wasn't sure.

"And what did Emmet mean by 'so you're the one' and 'welcome to the family'?"

I saw his lips tighten. They showed no signs of loosening anytime soon.

"You're not going to tell me are you?"

He looked at me perplexed, as he realized that I knew he was keeping something from me.

"So…Are you ready for the grand tour?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Sure, let's go." He grabbed my hand in his icy grip and led me to the giant staircase. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards.

The first room we came to was ironically Rosalie and Emmet's room. They were laying on a humongous bed that took up most of the room. It looked as though it were a replica of something Queen Elizabeth would sleep on. Their room was in various shades of blue, and I noticed a dresser with a giant mirror on it. There were two doors leading from their room. I assumed they were the bathroom and the closet.

"Hey little bro," Emmet said to Jasper.

I felt extremely intrusive for standing there watching them cuddle on the bed. I imagined that this was nothing new for Jasper. That must suck, living in a house full of happy couples. Jasper nodded to them and pulled me further down the hall.

The next stop on the tour was Edwards's room. His room faced the south, making one of his walls entirely made of glass. Another one of his walls was covered from top to bottom with a vast number of CDs. I started to wonder if he had robbed a music store. Edward was nowhere in sight, but there was a large black leather sofa, and no bed. The carpet was gold and the walls were white.

We continued on to Alice's room, which was just as I expected. Very stylish, and very large. The furniture was black, and pink and all looked very futuristic. In the center of the room was a gigantic black bed. Alice was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and Edward was sitting in a chair off to the side. Their expressions were both blank. Alice was staring blankly at the wall in front of her, and Edward was sitting serenely with his eyes closed.

"What are they doing?" I whispered to Jasper.

"I'm looking into the future," Alice said, snapping out of her trance.

"Oh, Hi Alice…" I realized that she must have been looking into the future, and Edward must have been reading her mind.

"That would be correct." He said from his chair.

I could tell that his power was going to be more annoying than Jasper's. How did they live with that?

"They're used to it. There are no secrets between us." He said, answering the question in my head.

I looked at Alice sitting on the bed. Her expression was completely empty. It made her look like a doll or something.

"Is that what yall do all day? Look into the future?" I asked him.

"No, it's just that Alice saw—well I think Jasper should decide if he wants you to know or not." He said, looking to Jasper.

"I'm not as secretive as you, Edward." He then turned to me. "It's nothing really, Alice saw some visitors coming in the near future, that's all."

"Then why are yall so concerned with the future?'

"Well, they aren't like us…they are real vampires, which means they won't think twice about feeding on humans. She's just checking to see if anything goes wrong."

"…What about me?" I asked.

"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you." He said, wrapping his arms around me. I looked up into his golden eyes. He looked so beautiful with his honey-blonde hair falling in front of his face. Forgetting anyone else was in the room, I kissed him…and kissed him…and kissed him….and kissed him.

"Ahem…" Edward said.

"Sorry…" I said.

"Yeah…you and Jasper's thoughts were getting a little too x-rated." He said.

I raised an eyebrow at Jasper. He looked down, and smiled, then led me from the room. He led me all the way down the hallway, past a few other doors to one of the last doors. He opened it and all I could see was books…books everywhere. There was a fireplace, a large desk, and every wall except one was covered in bookshelves. Against the wall without any books was a large leather couch like Edward's.

Jasper jumped on the couch and pulled me through the air so I landed gently, lying next to him. Then he took my face in his hands and kissed me earnestly. I was in shock at his actions, but then again I really didn't care because his kiss was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt. He repositioned himself above me, and kissed me deeper than he ever had. His cold tongue felt amazing against the warmth of mine. He broke the kissed and proceeded to trail kisses down to my neck, where he continued to kiss. My breath was getting faster and more ragged as he started to unbutton my shirt, his mouth never leaving my neck. An eager moan escaped my lips, a sound I didn't know I was capable of making until now.

Once he had my shirt successfully unbuttoned, he ran his cold hands up and down my chest. He moved back up to my lips, kissing me softly while still feeling on my abs. I put my hands into his hair, pulling him closer, kissing him harder. I thought if he could undo my shirt…maybe…

I removed my hand from his hair, and started to unbutton his shirt. His cold chest felt so odd, but so good next to mine. I let my hands trail down his chest, stopping at his belt buckle. He broke the kiss again and moved to my ear.

"No," he whispered, but this only made me want him more. He then started nibbling on my ear, which didn't exactly help the situation any. So I continued to unbuckle his belt, and unzip his pants. Once his pants were successfully loosened, I slid my hands down his back, resting them on his ice-cold backside while he kissed me.

I pulled him closer, wanting more than what he was already supplying. I broke our kiss and let my lips trail down to his neck. His breathing got heavier, and he let out a throaty moan.

"Devin, I think we…should…stop," he whispered.

I came back up from his neck and smiled mischievously.

"I don't think so," I said before kissing him more.

He broke the kiss. "No, really, we need to stop. The temptation is killing me."

"I tempt you?" I asked devilishly.

He leaned in and kissed me again, and then started pulling us into a sitting position on the couch. He broke the kiss for a final time, leaving me breathing hard as I buttoned up my shirt.

"So, uh, this is your room?"

"Yes, this is my room—or my study rather."

I laughed to myself at the fact that I had never heard him out of breath until now.

"You like to read?" I asked, though the answer was all around me.

"Yes, you?" he asked.

"Yep," I replied.

Then, I heard a soft knock on the door and saw Alice standing in the doorway. She eyed us warily.

"Are you two done in here?" she asked.

"Why yes, Alice." Jasper replied with a smile.

"Good. I saw some interesting things that could have gone on in this room, and just so you know, none of them ended in your death!" She said with a smile. "I hope you two don't turn out to be another Rosalie and Emmet though…"she shuddered dramatically.

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. It seems that Jasper doesn't plan on taking it that far" I told her, glaring at him the whole time.

"That's not what I saw…" she muttered low enough that I could hear.

"Alice…" Jasper said with an exasperated look on his face.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," she said before flitting from the room.

I'd have to think of a way to get her alone somewhere and ask her exactly what she saw concerning me and Jasper.

"Shall we continue the tour?" he asked.

"I could think of a few better things to do but I guess…"

He rolled his eyes, grabbed my hand, and led me from his room. He showed me Carlisle's office, Carlisle and Esme's bedroom, and Esme's studio. I also noticed a lot of empty rooms in the gigantic house. Jasper then led me to the back yard where Alice and Edward were again 'checking the future'. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought they were staring at the clouds, but the detached look in Alice's eyes told me she was seeing something other than the cloudy sky above her.

"A storm is coming," she said dreamily.

"Baseball?" Edward chimed in.

"Exactly," she replied. She sat up on her elbows and eyed me. "You wanna come?'"

"Umm…sports aren't exactly my thing…" I told her.

"You won't be playing stupid, you'll watch," she said jokingly.

"Cool, I'm in I guess."

"It's going to be so much fun, I'm glad you're coming." The enthusiasm in Jasper's voice was infectious, naturally. I found myself eager, rather than nervous.

"Let's go see if Carlisle will come." Alice bounded up and to the door with the grace of a ballerina.

"Like you don't know," Edward teased, and they were swiftly on their way.

"…This means I have to tell my dad doesn't it?" I said absentmindedly.

"It would be better if you did tell him." He replied, taking my hand and giving me a comforting smile.

After that we went to his car and started towards my house. I started panicking mentally, thinking about what I was about to do when Steven got home. How was I going to bring it up? What would he do? What would he say? Would he forbid me to see Jasper? I couldn't deal with that. There's no way he would do that…he's my dad right?

"Devin, stop worrying. Everything's going to be okay, I promise. I wont let anything happen to you, I—"

"You're going to be there?" I interrupted.

"If you want me to be…"

"Please! That will make everything so much easier. And I'll definitely need some calming down."

"Whatever you like," he said giving my hand a squeeze.

We turned onto my street and I noticed another car behind my truck. It was an old black Ford. Standing in front of the door to my house was one of the boys, I recognized, from the beach, and an old guy in a wheelchair. The man was Billy Black, one of Steven's friends, so the boy must be Embry's friend, Jacob.

"Great." I heard Jasper mutter under his breath.

"Oh, right, you guys don't like each other." I thought about the Quileutes not letting the Cullens on their reservation.

"Understatement." Jasper said as he parked the car a few houses down from mine. "I probably should be going."

"You don't have to. They're probably just here to see Steven."

"I don't think that's it…I think he came to warn him about us."

"Oh…" I replied. I couldn't let Billy do that. I'd have to think of a way to stop him.

"Besides, you have to get ready to introduce Steven to your boyfriend." He said distractedly.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, don't remind me. I guess I have to go though. Can I have a kiss?"

He leaned in and gave me a peck on the lips, and then I got out of the car and walked towards my house.

"Hey Billy, Hey Jacob" I said as I ran up to the house. "Steven's still at work, he won't be back for a while."

"Hello, Devin, I was just bringing him some of Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry, it's his favorite."

"Thanks, you guys wanna come in?" I asked, trying to be polite. They didn't look like they were planning on leaving anyway.

I opened the door, and ushered them in, being watched closely by Billy the whole time. I looked at Jacob and noticed that he seemed extremely uncomfortable. As though something was making him itch.

"Jacob," Billy said, still eyeing me. "Why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Steven, too."

"Where is it?" Jacob asked, his voice morose. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together.

"I think I saw it in the trunk," Billy said. "You might have to dig for it."

Jacob sighed, and then went out to the car, his face still uneasy.

Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I heard him pushing his wheelchair along as he followed me. I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of the fridge, and spun around to confront him. His deeply lined face was unreadable.

"Well…Steven won't be back for a while..." I told him.

He nodded in agreement, but said nothing.

"Thanks again for the fish fry," I hinted.

He continued nodding. I sighed and folded my arms across my chest.

"Devin," he started. "I _see _you've been hanging out with some of the Cullens."

"Yes…I have..." I replied rudely.

"…I don't think that's such a good idea"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember asking you for advice on my personal life."

He raised his graying eyebrows at my tone. "You probably don't know this, but the Cullen family has an unpleasant reputation on the reservation."

"Actually, I did know that," I informed him in a hard voice. This surprised him. "But why is that? Because of some stupid superstition? Because you're _scared_? The Cullens are _great_ people, and they haven't hurt _anyone_."

His eyes widened even more.

"You seem to know a lot about the Cullens…"

"More than you know," I said with a smirk.

"Does your father know as much as you do about the Cullens?"

"Umm," I replied. His question caught me off guard.

"I know it's none of my business…but maybe it's Steven's?"

"But isn't it my business whether I think that it's Steven's business or not?" I asked.

I wondered if he even understood my confused question as he sat there in silence. He didn't reply, so I tried to think of a way to relieve the tension.

"I'll go check on Jacob…see what's taking him so long." I said, heading for the door.

Jacob was rummaging through the trunk of the car. I walked up next to him, and he jumped and looked at me terrified.

"Whoa, you scared me."

"Yeah, you seem a bit keyed up."

"Yeah, I've had a weird day…" he said inattentively, still looking through the trunk.

"What happened?"

"My best friend tried to kiss me…" he muttered.

"Embry?!" I concluded. Wow…that little boy is forward.

"Yeah…now I don't know what to do…he's my best friend…"

That second, Billy appeared in the doorway, a frown on his face.

"We're leaving." He said plainly to Jacob.

"I thought we were waiting for Steven." Jacob replied.

"Devin says he won't be back for a while, we'll catch him next time."

"Bye, you guys!" I chimed in cheerfully heading to the door.

Jacob wheeled Billy to the car, and helped him in. I waved goodbye as they drove off. I closed the door, and stood in the hallway for a minute, listening to the sound of their car as it backed out and drove away. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and shock to die down. When the tension eventually faded a bit, I headed upstairs to take a shower.

I couldn't think of what to wear for tonight, so I just settled on a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans. Then, I thought about what was going to happen tonight, and fear overtook me. _I really wish Jasper were here._

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I thought it might be Jasper for a second, but realized that he never needed to use a phone to talk to me. It was Angela. I had forgotten all about her in the past few days with everything that had been going on. I really didn't think I was in any position to hold a conversation at the moment, but I answered anyway.

"Hey, Ange."

"Where have you been lately?! I haven't spoken to you in forever!" she yelled into the phone.

"Sorry, a lot's been going on lately. I've been distracted." I told her.

"Does this have anything to do with Jasper?" she asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, kind of." I told her. I heard the door to Steven's cruiser close from outside.

"Well tell me what happened!" I heard him fumbling with the keys at the door.

"Sorry Angela, my dad's home. I promise to tell you everything tomorrow though."

"I won't forget! See you tomorrow Devin."

"Bye, Ange," I said before ending the call. Then I reluctantly went to the kitchen to greet my father.

"Hey, Devin!" Steven called as I walked into the kitchen. I waved at him. I thought if I made him dinner it would soften the blow.

Steven cleaned up while I got dinner ready. It didn't take long till we were sitting at the table, eating in silence. Steven was enjoying his food. I was wondering desperately how to bring it up, struggling to think of a way to raise the subject.

"So, what did you do today?" he asked. To tell the truth? Or not to tell the truth…that is the question.

"Oh, I just hung out a little. Nothing much." Did I sound as suspicious as I thought I did?

"Oh, that's cool." He said.

"Yeah, I went over to the Cullen's house." I added in, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh? What were you doing over there?" he asked.

"I made friends with a few of them," I said quietly.

"See, they're as _weird_ as you thought they were, are they?"

"Nope, they're actually pretty nice." I said, looking down at my plate. "I'm going back over there tonight."

"Why?"

"I…kind of have a date…" I mumbled.

"What?" he asked. "Speak up." Then I felt a sudden wave of confidence. I assumed that Jasper must be outside.

"I said I have a date." I told him a little bit louder.

"With who, I thought all of the Cullen kids wer—"he stopped mid-sentence, probably realizing what I was getting at. I took my opportunity to interrupt.

"Remember that Jasper guy I was telling you about? He's…kind of…my boyfriend."

"Jasper?...that's…a boy...you're gay?

"Yes, Dad, I'm gay." I told him.

"I mean, I thought so…but wow…" he seemed dumbstruck.

"You're okay with it?" I asked.

"Of course, I'll love you regardless. You're my son." I felt immensely relieved that he was taking this so well. I felt a bit of happiness too, but I was sure that was Jasper's doing.

"Thanks dad, that means a lot to me," I told him with a smile.

"So, where's this date of yours?"

"Umm, he's taking me to play baseball with his family." I replied.

"Baseball? Who are you and what have you done with my son? The Devin I know doesn't like sports."

I frowned at him. "I'll probably be watching most of the time."

"You must really like this guy," he observed suspiciously.

I sighed and rolled my eyes for his benefit. We were both pretty much done with our food. I got up and started washing the dishes. Steven escaped to the living room. The plate in my hand clattered in the sink as I heard the doorbell ring.

"I wonder who that could be," Steven said sarcastically from the living room.

"I'll get it," I yelled.

I opened the door to see Jasper standing on the doorstep in a raincoat, with soaking wet hair, and a reassuring smile. I gave him a quick thank you kiss then grabbed his hand and led him to the living room.

"Steven," I called. He turned his head as we walked into the living room. His eyes widened as he took in Jasper's appearance and saw my hand still entwined with Jasper's. "I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Jasper."

"Hello, Sir." Jasper chimed in.

"Call me Steven," he replied. "Have a seat Jasper."

"No, Dad—we were just leaving." I pleaded.

"No, It's fine, Devin." Jasper told me. I sighed and frowned.

"So, I hear you're going play baseball with your family,"

"Yes, sir, I mean Steven" My beautiful dead boyfriend replied. He did a good job of acting like a teenage human.

"Well, more power to you, I guess."

Steven laughed, and Jasper joined in.

"Okay." I stood up. "Okay, okay, stop laughing at me. Let's go." I walked back to the hall and pulled on my jacket. They followed.

"Don't stay out too late." Steven told me.

"Don't worry Steven. I'll have him home early." Jasper said, flashing my Dad a glorious smile.

I managed to get out the door, but I stopped in my tracks when I saw a big red jeep in the driveway.

"Who's is that?" I asked in shock.

"Emmet's," Jasper replied simply.

"Wear your seatbelts," Steven said uneasily from the doorway.

Jasper followed me around to my side and opened the door. I gauged the distance to the seat and prepared to jump for it. He sighed, and then lifted me in with one hand. I hoped Steven didn't notice.

As he went around to the driver's side, at a normal, human pace, I tried to put on the seat belt. But there were too many buckles.

"What's all this?" I asked when he opened the door.

"It's an off-roading harness."

"Oh…"

I tried to find the right places for all the buckles to fit, but it wasn't going too quickly. He sighed again and reached over to help me. I was glad that the rain was too heavy to see Steven clearly on the porch. That meant he couldn't see how Jasper's hands lingered at my neck, brushed along my collarbones. I gave up trying to help him and focused on not hyperventilating.

"I don't remember seeing any cars at your house…"

"There's a garage around back," he said, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. I gave him a questioning look.

"You smell so good in the rain," he explained.

"In a good way, like you wanna do me or in a bad way, like you wanna kill me." I asked cautiously.

He sighed. "Both."

I frowned at him.

"But neither of those things are going to be happening anytime soon." He added.

"…we'll see about that." I replied.

We turned onto a side road somewhere along the way, and I noticed the road getting rougher and rougher. Pretty soon, I was practically bouncing up and down towards the end. Then we came to a stop in the middle of the woods where the road ended.

"Oh no…" I said, realizing what was going on. "We're running again aren't we…"

"Yep," he said with a heartbreaking smile. I could tell he genuinely loved running.

I sighed. There was no way I could refuse him such joy. "Fine…"

He was gone in a blur, and then reappeared on my side of the car and started unbuckling.

"Do we have to?" I pleaded.

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked as he lifted me from the monster Jeep and placed me lightly on the ground.

"Hmm. Well let's see…for starters. There's hitting a tree." I said.

He then closed the distance and softly pressed his cold lips to mine.

"Still worried?" he mused.

"YES! That's not going to work Ja-"

I couldn't finish because Jasper had engaged me in a full on make-out. It seemed like he was breathing the calmness into me. The feeling radiated from the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes. I wanted to grab him and kiss him harder, but I couldn't even move. It was like I had lost all control of my body.

He broke the kiss and I was left dazed and confused.

"D-di-did you do that?" I stammered.

"Do what?" he said, confusedly.

"I was…numb." I said, still slightly stunned.

"No, all I did was calm you down."

"…okay." The whole forest seemed to be spinning. I almost lost my balance, but just then Jasper picked me up bridal style.

"Ready?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure, Jazz," I said sleepily.

Then he plunged into the forest. I closed my eyes, and couldn't even feel the forest flying past me. Sure, I could hear it, but that didn't bother me so much. As long as I couldn't _see_ the potential death trees. I wondered If we were really flying through the forest at inhuman speeds. There was no way he could be running…it felt more like flying.

Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. He slowed to a stop, and I felt absolutely no difference. I wondered if it was safe to open my eyes.

"Is it over?" I asked.

He laughed. "Yes, Devin, It's over."

I opened my eyes, and slowly tried to make my way out of his arms. I ended up needing his help, and I ended up once again in his arms, but this time vertically instead of horizontally. He gave me a quick kiss before letting me go. _As if I wasn't dizzy enough already._

He took my hand and led me through the forest and into a clearing. It was humongous and beautiful. There was a beautiful cascading waterfall in the background. It looked like a postcard or a scene from a movie. Then I realized that it was actually a field. _Were baseball fields really this big?_

I could see the others all there; Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were the closest to us, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I could see Edward and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to throw something back and forth, but I never saw any ball. It looked like Carlisle was marking bases, but could they really be that far apart?

Just then, as we approached the other Cullens, Alice came dancing at the speed of light towards us. Suddenly, I heard thunder from above. She came to an abrupt, yet graceful stop right before us. "It's time."

* * *

A/N: This chapter took _forever_ to write! But that's probably because it's a little bit longer than usual. Please don't forget to _**REVIEW!**_ I live for you reviews! They make me happy inside! So please keep them coming, yes? Anyways, expect to meet some sexy baddies in the next chapter (Cam—I mean James anyone?) ;)

-Kevyncito

P.s. I know the story alert said chapter 10 vampire byte 1 but that's because i want to keep everything separate. Hehe OCD tendency.


	11. So Much For Today Being A Good Day

Chapter 10:

A/N: Sorry about the delay, I wanted to finish two chapters before I posted so that I could give a bit of a prediction at the end. And also I wanted to always have one ready just in case. And I'm also going to have to get over the fact that the numbers dont match up... :(

Hope you haven't forgotten about me…I haven't been seeing very many reviews…

_We interrupt this program to bring you a message from our sponsors :)_

OMG did yall see the Trailer?? It was _**AMAZING!!**_ I absolutely cannot wait till Nov. 21. Anyways….

_Back to our regularly scheduled program Enjoy :)_

Chapter 10: So much for today being a good day…

"C'mon you guys! You ready?" Alice said, her eyes twinkled, full of mischief.

I heard what sounded like an angry rumble from above us. Then Emmet, Rosalie, and Alice darted into the giant baseball field.

"Have fun," I told Jasper. He bent down and gave me a quick kiss before darting off to join his siblings on the field. Then I realized it was just me and Esme left standing away from the field.

"Aren't you gonna play with them?" I asked her.

She turned and gave me a warm, motherly smile. "No, I like to referee. Keeps them from cheating." She explained.

"They cheat?" I asked.

"You have no idea. Alice and Edward especially. Want to get closer?" she said as she started walking at a human pace towards the field. I caught up with her and she quickly matched my pace.

"Couldn't Alice just tell us who wins?" I asked, looking reluctantly at the clouds overhead.

"Probably, but that wouldn't be fair. What if someone changed their mind or made a split decision? You can't always take the easy way out."

"You sound like my mother…"

At this, she laughed the sound of wind chimes.

"Well I think the mothering instinct carried over from my human life. That's the way it is for us. We stay the way we are when we're bitten and it takes something major to change us after that." Her expression turned thoughtful for a second, but she kept walking. "I do think of them as my children. I lost a child before I—was bitten." She noticed my puzzled expression. " Jasper _did _tell you our stories, didn't he?"

"No ma'am…" I replied.

"So polite, but you can call me Esme. Well, it looks like we'll have to have a story-telling night!" she said cheerfully. Somehow I didn't think it was going to be a cheerful matter. "I can't believe Jasper hasn't told you them yet…"

"I got the feeling his past was a touchy subject." I told her.

"Ah, It is. That's why I'm so glad he found you…He needs a bit of love in his life. "

"So, it doesn't bother you that I'm a guy at _all_?" I asked sheepishly.

"Heavens no! Love is Love, and it shouldn't matter _who_ you love. And if you didn't show up I'm sure Jasper would have taken up Tanya's offer out of sheer desperation."

"Wait, What?!" I almost yelled.

"Oh, Tanya's a bit flirtatious…She fancied Edward once, but once Alice came along she gave up on that dream and moved on to trying to convince Jasper she could turn him straight."

I felt a slight twinge of jealousy. So there _was_ competition. It did occur to me that Jasper had chosen me, and _hadn't _run off with Tanya, but it still bothered me.

"We're here," she said, waking me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw that teams had already been formed. It was the Hales and Carlisle versus Edward, Alice, and Emmet. Jasper was far out in left field, Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Rosalie held the ball, positioned on the spot that must be the pitcher's mound. Alice was acting as catcher for the other team.

Emmet was swinging what I assumed to be a bat through the air. He was swinging it so fast that all I could make out was a grey blur of aluminum. He was standing so far away from Rosalie that I was sure the ball would never reach him.

"All right," Esme called in a clear voice, which I knew even Jazz would hear, as far out as he was. "Batter up."

Then Rosalie kissed the baseball in her hand before giving what I imagined was the fastest windup in baseball history. Her arm was still spinning as the ball landed in Alice's ungloved hand.

Alice threw the ball back into Rosalie's waiting hands. She smiled at Emmet, and then wound up again. This time Emmet managed to hit the ball and it went flying through the forest. I heard a deafening crack that sounded like a lightning strike as the bat made contact with the ball. I instinctively covered my ears. _Now I see why they needed a storm…_

"Does that mean it's a home run?" I asked Esme.

"Not, yet. Watch for Jasper." I observed the field. I saw Emmet traveling at inhuman speeds around the super spaced out bases and Jasper was….gone? Emmet made it all the way back to the home plate before I saw Jasper emerge from the forest with the ball in his hand.

"Out," Esme yelled.

The inning continued before my incredulous eyes. It was impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flew, and the rate at which their bodies raced around the field.

One time Jasper threw the ball to Carlisle, who crashed into Emmet. It sounded like two boulders being rubbed together by a giant. My eyes widened with shock and worry, but they both seemed to be fine. They continued to play and surprisingly, it held my interest. Then it started to rain.

I loved the rain. I closed my eyes and stood there letting it fall on my head, not bothering to pull up my hood.

Then I heard Alice gasp, and everyone's focus turned to her. I think I heard Edward say 'oh shit' but I wasn't sure. Then all of them ran towards Alice. I could only hear glimpses of what they were saying since they were so far away.

"I couldn't tell," I heard Alice say. "They were quicker than I thought."

"They must have heard us," I heard Esme say.

"Are we going to have to fight?" I heard Emmet add sounding slightly excited.

"What about Devin," Rosalie said.

Then they all turned to me. I suddenly realized what they were talking about. Jasper's words from earlier echoed in my mind. _It's nothing really, Alice saw some visitors coming in the near future, that's all. _

"How much time do we have?" Carlisle asked.

"Less than five minutes." Alice replied. "Not enough time to run…not even for Edward."

Jasper was staring at me wide-eyed. He was the only one who hadn't said anything the whole time. We locked eyes and I couldn't tear my fearful eyes away from his.

"We'll just continue the game, they're probably just curious." Carlisle told everyone calmly.

"Esme, you take my place." Jasper told her as he made his way over to me. Then he turned to Alice. "Are they hungry?" he asked her.

She shook her head no. He sighed in relief, but I could still see the tension in his body as he approached me. The game continued as usual, but this time they were a lot closer in and the ball never left the clearing.

When he reached me he gave me a hug, and before releasing me he said, "Just keep quiet, and don't move. I'll keep you safe."

I stood next to him and pretended to watch the much less enthusiastic game, knowing that in a few minutes my life could be in mortal peril.

I knew things had started when Jasper stopped breathing. I saw him look towards the forest, hearing things my human ears never could.

Then they emerged from the forest. The first one out was a man wearing a leather jacket without a shirt underneath. His face and chest were smudged with dirt and his long blonde hair was pulled back into a pony-tail. His jeans were ripped and he wore no shoes. Flanking him to the right was a woman with red hair. Something about her facial expression made her look very roguish. Her eyes shifted constantly between the eight of us. I didn't fail to notice the gleam in her eye when she looked at me. Flanking the first male on the right was another man. He was tall with long dreadlocks. His skin was dark, almost black.

They walked forward slowly and uneasily, as if they were expecting an attack. They were all covered in dirt and leaves, and all barefoot. Upon seeing the Cullen's more civilized demeanor, they too stood up a bit straighter but still approached with caution. The thing that set them apart the most was their dark red eyes.

Carlisle, Edward, and Emmet went to meet them down the field. The blonde one, the leader I assumed, flashed a brilliantly white smile. As they walked I noticed the hungry look in the leader's eyes. He looked alert and slightly enthused.

"Hello, I'm James, these are Laurent and Victoria," he said. His tone sounded more cultured and polite than I expected.

"Hello, I am Carlisle. This is my family, Emmet, Devin, and Jasper, Rosalie, Alice and Esme." He said calmly.

James nodded, looking at us all as Carlisle pointed us out. "We heard a game. Is there any room for us to play?"

"No, we were just about to go home." Carlisle replied sociably.

"Home?" Laurent said from beside James. I noticed he had a slight French accent.

"Yes, we have a home nearby." Carlisle told them.

"How do you manage this?" Laurent asked, truly curious.

"How about you come with us to our house and we'll explain?" Carlisle suggested.

I noticed the woman, Victoria's eyes widened.

"We'd like that," James said with a hospitable smile.

"Also," Edward said. "We ask that you don't hunt in the area. We wouldn't want to raise suspicion."

"No worries, we just finished hunting outside of Seattle." James said with a laugh. I felt like I was going to be sick after he said this. Then I suddenly felt my stomach unclench and my system start to calm down. Jasper.

"We'll show you the way—Edward and Alice, you go with Jasper and Devin to the Jeep." He said calmly. I felt an uncontrollable yawn overtake me. I raised my hand to cover my mouth as I closed my eyes and yawned deeply.

When I opened my eyes again, three pairs of red eyes were focused intently on me. Victoria slowly fell into a crouch, but James raised his hand to tell her to stop. My emotions must have reached a whole new level because even Jasper couldn't stop my heart from speeding up.

"What do we have here?" Victoria said mischievously through gritted teeth.

"Now, Victoria, we already said we wouldn't hunt in their territory."

"He is with us," Carlisle added firmly.

"Do you usually bring concessions to your baseball games?" James said with a smirk. Somehow I didn't find his joke to be funny. Neither did any of the Cullens.

"He _does _smell quite nice," Laurent said, taking a step forward.

This time Rosalie spoke up with irritancy clear in her voice as she spoke from across the field. "He _said _he's with us."

James smiled devilishly. "Is he yours?" he mused. "Doesn't really look like your type, doll."

Then James did the unexpected. He rushed towards me. I barely had time to gasp before Jasper was crouched and growling in front of me. James stopped abruptly in front of him.

"Ooh, what do we have here? _Very _interesting." He said, sounding intrigued for some reason.

He straightened up his stance and turned back to Carlisle. "We won't hunt the human, and we would _gladly _accept your invitation."

Carlisle looked uncertain, but he nodded.

Then James turned back to me and gave me a weird look, as if I was something he was planning to buy.

"Jasper, you all take Devin home." Carlisle said from across the field.

"C'mon Devin—Edward, Alice?" Jasper said as he started walking towards the forest. I followed, with Alice and Edward close behind me, into the forest. I barely breached the trees before Jasper grabbed me and slung my onto his back. He took of running without even asking if I was ready. I closed my eyes tightly and held on for dear life as he traveled faster than he ever had with me.

I hopped off his back once we reached the Jeep. Edward and Alice reached the jeep just as we did. Jasper didn't seem to be talking to me so I didn't make any attempts to talk to him either. He flung the door to the backseat open and lifted me in almost roughly into the seat. Then he closed the door and disappeared to the driver's seat.

"Strap him in," he told Edward, who was also sitting in the backseat.

Then he started the Jeep and sped down the dirt road. I saw Edward whispering something too low for me to hear.

"I **KNOW**, EDWARD! I WAS THERE!" He yelled. I realized then that I had never heard him yell nor seen him angry.

"You don't have to yell at him!" Alice hissed through bared teeth.

"What's going on?" I asked. No one seemed to hear me as they continued to argue.

"Just because he can read people's minds, doesn't mean he knows _everything_!" Jasper said enraged.

Edward growled, giving Jasper a death-glare from the back seat.

"What's GOING ON?!" I interjected, unable to take anymore of their yelling. This seemed to bring them back to their senses, but they still didn't answer me. Edward and Alice simply looked out of their windows and Jasper focused on the road. Then the sky lit up as lightning flashed through the sky.

"I'm sorry you guys, that was uncalled for…" Jasper mumbled. I suddenly felt the familiar feeling of calmness that he usually produced.

"Okay, now what's going on?" I asked calmly, noticing that we were getting farther and farther away from Forks.

They still seemed reluctant to answer.

"Answer me!" I yelled (calmly). "I don't understand! They said they would leave me alone!"

This time Edward spoke up. "Devin, what James said was totally different from what he was thinking."

"I don't think he would be stupid enough to cross all seven of us, and I've already checked. They won't be leaving till morning." Alice chimed in.

"Then we're taking you home, but I'm staying." Jasper said decidedly. Then he sped back towards Forks.

The atmosphere inside the car was tense the rest of the way. It had started raining again, and everyone seemed to be focusing on their respective windows. When we got to the house I noticed that Steven had left every light on and was most likely sitting in the living room waiting on me.

I ran through the rain to the door and quickly made my way in. Just as I predicted, Steven was sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Hey," he said cautiously. I struggled to think of the facial expressions I was _supposed_ to be displaying for him right now. Something told me panicked and upset wouldn't work out so well.

"Hey, Dad." I said, hoping he wasn't perceptive enough to see through my forced enthusiasm.

"So?" he asked. "How was it?"

"Fine," I told him. "Turns out I like baseball more than I thought."

"You had fun?" he asked incredulously. I let out another unintentional yawn.

"Yep," I told him. "But I think I'm gonna go to bed now, I'm exhausted." The truth was that I needed to find out what the hell is going on.

"Okay, goodnight," he said simply before turning back to the TV.

I hurried upstairs and bypassed my room and headed directly for the shower. I got back to my room and saw Jasper looking out the window with a troubled look upon his face. I got in the bed and made myself comfortable before addressing him.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?" I asked quietly.

"James is a tracker…" he muttered. "He chooses a prey and hunts it down. Edward saw inside his mind. It's his passion, his obsession. And it's all a game to him. The fact that I'm defending you makes the game even more exciting to him."

I thought about the strange look he gave me earlier at the field. I shuddered.

Jasper turned around as if I had called his name.

"Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He said, sliding into bed next to me.

"I know…" I told him, having him there calmed me, even without the powers. "What was all that yelling about in the car?"

"That was my fault. Whenever I feel a strong emotion, it tends to spread to my surroundings." He explained.

"I'm sorry…" I muttered. This was all my fault. If I had never yawned, they probably wouldn't have even noticed I was human.

"You thought I was mad at you?!" he asked.

"Well, it seemed like it." I said timidly.

"Of course not. I was mad at myself for putting you in that situation."

"Please don't blame yourself. This couldn't have been prevented. It was no one's fault." I assured him.

He smiled, which made me smile too. "You should try to get some sleep. School's in the morning." He reminded me.

It seemed like forever since I last went to school. Then I realized that it had only been two days.

"Okay," I told him, hiving him a quick kiss goodnight. Sleep came easier than I expected, considering the fact that there could be a creepy (kinda sexy) vampire planning my death. But that was probably because of the beautiful vampire lying next to me.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to a sight that I'm sure no one would object to. Jasper was quietly lying beside me, watching me sleep. There's something about waking up next to a vampire that just lets you know it's going to be a good day.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "How did you sleep?"

I thought about it for a second and realized that I couldn't remember. I was too tired to dream, and I felt pretty well rested, so I guessed that meant it was good.

"Fine, I guess." I concluded.

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes…Why?" I asked, slightly worried.

"You were tossing and turning all night. I had to move out of the way."

"Really? Hmm…I was probably just worried." I told him, slightly embarrassed.

"I already told you," he said, looking deeply into my eyes. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Technically I wasn't worrying, my subconscious was." I corrected him.

"But your subconscious mind is merely an indication of your conscious mind." He replied. I didn't even want to argue with him. I'm sure he had entire libraries stored in that vampire brain of his.

I stuck my tongue out at him childishly, and got out of bed. School felt so…unnecessary to me. It didn't seem nearly as important to me as spending time with Jasper. But I still went to my closet to find something to wear anyway. Jasper went downstairs as I got dressed, and also waited with me as I ate breakfast (Steven was already gone by then). I wondered how he could just sit there not doing anything for all that time. Watching me could _not _be that interesting.

We walked outside and I noticed Jasper's car sitting in the driveway.

"How—? " I started.

"I had Alice bring it over after your father left." He explained, walking over to the driver's side. I opened the passenger door and slid in. We got to school in record time and I was apprehensive to leave the car. I _really_ didn't want to face Angela's interrogation. I noticed the rest of the Cullens pull up next to us. They had gone back to using Edward's car, but that was hardly important now.

I got out of the car—Jasper following my lead—and turned towards Angela and Ben Cheney, a short nerdy looking guy, standing near Ben's car. _Were they dating? I'd have to ask her about that later. _

I started walking in their direction when I felt something cold in my hand. I slowly turned my head to my right. Jasper smiled reassuringly, but that didn't stop my heart from jumping in my throat. Jasper abruptly let go of my hand. I looked at the slightly disheartened look he was trying to hide. I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards Angela and Ben. His eyes lit up immediately. It made me smile.

"Hey, Ange," I called. Ben turned and shock flooded his face.

"Oh, Hey Devin!" she said, giving me a hug. "Hey, _Jasper_.

He gave her an uneasy smile. "Hello, Angela." He muttered shyly. Ben seemed to be trying to form words, but it looked to me as if he had forgotten how to speak. Instead, he simply sat there with his mouth open, looking back and forth between me and Jasper. I gave Jasper a meaningful look, which he seemed to understand because shortly after, I felt the calming effects of his ability.

"Hey, Ben." I said confidently, testing his ability to speak.

"Uh…Hey…Devin," he said, looking slightly baffled. I smiled then nodded. "Hey…Jasper?" it sounded like a question.

"Hello, Ben," Jasper replied. I laughed at the awkwardness of the situation, and luckily the ball rang, signaling that we should move to our first class. Jasper gave me a quick hug before walking off towards his first class. I smiled a little at Ben's ever-widening eyes, and started walking towards English with Angela and Ben.

Once we sat down, my interrogation started. Surprisingly, I had _two interrogators_. I was getting hit with questions from both sides. 'You're gay?' 'I had no idea' 'How was Seattle?' 'So, he's you're boyfriend?' etc.

I made it through the rest of the hour, answering questions while the teacher wasn't looking. Then I sat distantly through the rest of my classes, waiting desperately for the bell to ring for lunch. Then finally, the bell rang. I walked out of Spanish to see Jasper quietly waiting as the other students passed him by. We smiled at each other, and then walked hand in hand towards the cafeteria.

After we got our plates Jasper paused in the middle of the cafeteria. "Where do you want to sit?"

I shrugged, not really caring where we sat. "Do you want to sit with your friends?" he asked.

"Not particularly..." What gave him that idea? The thought of sitting with him and _them_ made my skin crawl. "How about we sit in our usual spot," I said, leading him to our usual table.

"So, How has your day been so far?," he asked, staring over my shoulder.

I turned around to follow his gaze, when I met eyes with Jessica Stanley.

"What…" I asked.

He frowned. "She's talking about us…" I felt a sudden surge of anger that I knew wasn't mine.

"Don't worry about her," I told him. "She's not important."

He smiled at this, and I felt the cloud of anger slowly fade.

"It's weird…I usually have control over my emotions…but I meet you and everything changes…" he said, wrapped up in thought.

"Why is that?" I asked, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I think being around you is making some of my more…_human _qualities reappear." He said.

I laughed. "Like anger?"

"Among other things," he said mysteriously.

"Ooh, what else have I brought back to life?" I asked.

He hesitated, then frowned. "…lust," he muttered.

My smile widened. "What was that? I don't think I heard you."

He glared.

"I really don't see why we can't."

He sighed. Then before he had a chance to speak his whole body stiffened.

"What is it?" I asked, but then I saw Alice rise from the table across the room and make her way over to us.

"Did you see something?" I asked.

She nodded.

"It's him isn't it?" I asked. "The tracker…he's coming for me, isn't he."

She looked at Jasper.

"Yes," he said simply. I suddenly felt really anxious. There was a crazy vampire out for my annihilation. And without a valid reason at that…

"Okay, we have two options." Alice said. "We could leave, or-"

"Alice." Jasper said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Never mind then…" she muttered.

"We need to get you out of here." Jasper stated, looking me directly in the eyes.

"Why? He won't attack while I'm at school will he?"

"No, he hasn't even left the house yet, but he'll follow your scent so we'll need a head start." He said gravely.

"How much time do we have?" I asked Alice.

"They're leaving around 4…" she said quietly.

"What about Steven?" I asked, suddenly realizing where my scent would lead the tracker.

"That's what I saw…" Alice said absentmindedly.

"You saw him kill my dad?!"

"No! I just saw him looking around." She corrected. "Your father wasn't there."

I sighed in relief. What were we going to do? What if he waited there for me and then Steven came home?

"I have to leave…" I said blankly as I realized what I would have to do. "I have to leave a note telling Steven I need to leave…Then I'll pack…and we'll leave."

"Devin, Are you okay?" Jasper asked.

"It sounds like a good idea." Alice said from beside him. "That gives the rest of them time to track him down."

"I'm fine…" I said vacantly trying to picture the look on Steven's face when he read the note I was planning to leave. I rose from the table, not answering the questioning looks the Cullens were giving me, and went over to Angela.

"Hey, Ange" I said, interrupting her conversation with Ben.

"Hey, Dev—you don't look so well, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm feeling a little sick. I'm gonna check out." I lied. "Jasper's taking me home." I added, thinking of a reason for him to be missing also.

"Okay," she said.

"Call me okay?" she added as I started walking away. I smiled at her then motioned for Jasper to follow me as I left the cafeteria.

Once we got outside, I went to his car and started writing the letter to my dad. I tried to make it convincing enough for my adversary to believe. I couldn't risk losing Steven.

When I finished the letter, we drove to my house, where I read over it another time, just to make sure…

_Dear Dad, _

_I can't take it anymore. I hate it here. I miss home, I miss mom, and I can't stand the people here. You should see the way they looked at me today. I'm so sorry for leaving like this. I know I should have waited till you got home, but I didn't want you to try and talk me out of it. I'm taking the money I have saved and using it to get a plane ticket. I promise to call you when I get there. _

_Love, _

_Devin. _

Jasper went upstairs and helped me pack my clothes. I threw a bunch of clothes on my bed and he started folding them and putting them into a duffel bag. I had just finished getting my toiletries when something occurred to me.

"You can't come with me…' I told him.

"What?"

"You can't. Think about the letter...Steven will think we ran away together." I warned him.

He didn't answer. He just frowned.

"Alice and…" I started to say Edward, but I really didn't want him reading my mind the whole time. "Alice can come with me." I corrected.

"I guess," he started. "But I won't be far behind. I'm only staying as long as I have to."

I walked over to him and gave him a tight hug. I didn't want to be separated from him. I needed him. I l-…I just need him.

I heard a knock on my window and saw Alice perched on my windowsill. I opened the window to let her in, and then shut it tightly, locking it.

"You ready Devin?" She asked cautiously. "I see Jasper isn't coming with us."

I smiled half-heartedly and nodded. I turned back to Jasper to make sure we all had the plan straight.

"Okay, so Alice and I will take a plane to Louisiana. While we're there, Emmet and the rest of you track James down and…" I couldn't really think of what I was going to say. Would they kill him just for me? Could he be killed?

"We'll track down James and then I'll come and bring you home," Jasper interjected, brushing my cheek with his cold hand.

I nodded. "Let's get this over with," I said apathetically. Then we went downstairs and I left my house for what could very well have been the last time…

A/N: Again, sorry for the delay. Please review. I can't stress it enough. And tell your friends. I want feedback so I can know what I need to do better, any mistakes I've made, or any of your suggestions. ANYTHING. I'm still trying to flesh out the course of the story, because there's no way it's gonna follow the same course as Stephenie's. I'm also trying to figure out how this whole James thing is gonna work out…hmm. Hopefully you will enjoy it all and you will give me plenty of beautiful, wonderful, amazing reviews. :F (vampire smiley)


	12. Pre Game

A/N:I'd like to officially proclaim my love for **Wildrose Vampire**. She is the like best reviewer _ever_, and all of you should strive to be just as amazing. She started from the beginning and reviewed every single chapter _in detail_!! **ILY Wildrose Vampire**!

Chapter 11: Pre-Game

I woke up in the backseat of a dark car. I blinked, trying to make my eyes adjust. I could barely see the moon out of the darkly tinted windows, but it was enough to tell me that it was nighttime. Alice turned around in her seat (taking her eyes off the road) and looked at me.

"About time," she said. "I was starting to think you weren't gonna wake up."

I tried to recall anything that had happened since we left Forks. I vaguely remember the airport. And I know Alice didn't carry me into the car, so I had to have walked…

"Where are we?" I asked hazily.

"Almost to Baton Rouge" she replied.

"Who's car is this?" I asked, realizing the opulence of the car we were in.

"William Green's"

"Who's that?" I asked. She laughed.

"The guy who's car I stole." She replied nonchalantly. "It was the only one with a dark enough tint. It's pretty fast too."

"Oh…" I replied, to apathetic to care that Alice was a criminal.

She turned around again and looked at me critically. I looked back at her questioningly.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"For the most part," I replied. "Why?"

"You were crying a lot—the car, the plane, the car again—then you fell asleep…but you seem pretty stable now." She said. Wow. I didn't even remember the crying. I guess the gravity of the situation had caught up with me.

"Everything's going to be fine, Devin. They're probably going to track him down and get rid of him," she said reassuringly.

"Get rid of him? How?"

"Rip him to shreds then set the pieces on fire," she said with a strange glint in her eyes. Then she turned her attention back to the road.

"Oh…"

The car came to a stop and we were at a hotel. "Why are we here?" I asked.

"Your dad called while we were on the plane—I don't think you noticed—He left a voicemail saying that your mom and her boyfriend went on a vacation.

"Oh," I replied. Of course my mother would have to be the only person in the world to go on vacation at this time of year. "Where did they go?"

"Florida," she replied. "They're coming back soon, I checked, but we should be gone by then." Despite the fact that I really didn't like my mom all that much, it still would've been nice to see her while I was here.

We got out of the car and Alice went in and got our room keys while I got my bag from the trunk of the stolen car.

We went upstairs to a very nice room on the third floor. It had a king sized bed, and a flat screen TV. I was convinced that I had never seen a hotel like this in my life…ever. I sat my bag down on the bed and walked back to the main room to see Alice staring at blankly at the black of the blank television. Then she abruptly turned back to me.

"See anything interesting?" I asked. She shook her head, but didn't speak. "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait for someone to call," she replied, turning back to the TV. Her eyes not meeting mine. She knew I was on to her.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked her.

"There's a lot I'm not telling you," she replied teasingly. This reminded me of all the times Jasper had stopped Alice from talking to me.

"What doesn't he want me to know? What have you seen?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied innocently, though I was pretty sure she knew what I meant.

"There's _something_ that Jasper doesn't want me to know. _You _know what it is."

"He's going to kill me for telling you this…"

"I won't let him. Tell him I made you. Now tell me." I said, plopping onto the couch next to her.

"Okay…Well, the night Jasper decided to come back from Alaska I got a sudden vision of you waking up with red eyes…" she said so fast it was kind of hard for me to keep up. "And the only time I get flashes like that is when it's some thing really certain or important.

"And Jasper doesn't want you to know because he doesn't want it to influence your decision. He wants you to be able to decide for yourself…He still doesn't think he deserves you—"

"What?!" I yelled. "He doesn't think he deserves me?"

"Well no. Look at it from his perspective. He feels like who is he to come into your life and take everything away from you?"

"Take everything away from me?" I asked, confused.

"When you first become a vampire, it's impossible to be around humans. That means you wouldn't be able to go to school, or see your friends or family again."

"How did you deal with it?"

She smiled a little. "None of us had a choice. Most of us were dying when we got changed—"She stopped mid-sentence, and in a flash of white, had a silver cell phone to her ear before it could ring.

She paused, listening. "I thought as much." She said simply. "Okay." Then she closed the phone.

"You hungry?" she asked. "Want room service?"

I glared at her. "Alice. What's going on?"

"Devin, please, It's really nothing to worry about, but…" She paused. "They lost James and Victoria."

My jaw dropped. "How is that nothing to worry about? What if one of them gets hurt?! What about Edward? Esme? Carlisle? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to them. They shouldn't be risking their lives for me…"

"Devin, we're not worried about us. Our family is strong. We're only worried about losing you." She replied.

"What? Why?"

"Can't you see? Jasper has traveled a long road. And now that he has you, we can't risk losing you." She said, staring off into space. "I've never seen him so alive." She said thoughtfully. "I couldn't imagine living with him if we lost you…"

I couldn't think of anything to say. I just sat down on the couch, stunned. I suddenly felt an intense pressure to be good enough for _him_. I didn't want to disappoint him, but I still didn't feel like I was worth all the trouble.

I went to sleep shortly after our talk. The next morning we stayed in the room. Alice called and had our maid services suspended, and she ordered me room service to eat. It was silent most of the time, but eventually I started panicking when no one called.

"Alice, do you know what's going on?" I asked her.

"Jasper, Emmet, and Carlisle went after James. Laurent decided not to get involved. Rosalie, Edward and Esme are keeping Victoria away from Forks and your dad. They lost James, but that's nothing to worry about…"

"Yet." I finished.

"Yes." She said. After that, she laid on the couch. To the untrained eye, she would appear to be sleeping. I sat quietly in the recliner next to her, and decided to listen to my iPod. It wasn't too long before I saw Alice's eyes flashed open.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slightly disturbed by her wide-eyed expression.

"Something has changed…" she said, sitting up on the couch.

"What do you see? I asked urgently, moving over to sit next to her on the couch. She looked at me, but her eyes were far-off.

"I see a classroom in a big school. It's nighttime. James is there…and that's all. Something's still missing. A decision." She said distantly.

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"It means his plans have changed. Something leads him to that classroom in the next few days."

"So that means they won't catch him…"

Then the phone rang.

She again pulled the phone from her pocket and put it to her ear.

"Carlisle, Hi." She said. I breathed a sigh of relief. She listened for a while.

"Yes." She said, and then she described her vision to Carlisle. "Whatever made him get on that plane… it was leading him to that school."

She nodded again. Then she paused and held the phone out to me. "Jasper."

"Jasper?" I breathed wearily into the phone.

"Devin," he sighed in relief. It was as if he was somehow using his power over the phone because it felt unbelievably good and calming to hear his voice.

"Is everything okay?" I asked cautiously.

"I already told you. You don't have anything to worry about except coming back home to me."

I smiled. "Alice said James got away…"

He hesitated. I could almost hear the mental strain in his voice. "Yeah…we think he's heading back to forks to start over. You don't have to worry, though. He won't find anything to lead him to you. You just have to stay there and wait till we find him again."

"I miss you…" I whispered.

"I miss you too. I'm so tempted to come up there and get you…." His voice hardened. "But not until I'm sure you're safe."

"Don't take too long." I pleaded softly.

"I won't, I promise." He said. I closed the phone and handed it back to Alice and then went to lie on the bed. I fell asleep for a while, but then I was abruptly awakened by Alice gently shaking my shoulder. I looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 9:30 a.m.

"Alice, what's wrong? Did you see something?" I asked.

Her replying voice was unnerving. "Do you know where this is?" she said almost frantically, holding up two sheets of paper in the darkness.

I reached for the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I saw a long shadowy hallway with a lot of doors on either side. The other was a picture of a picture of…….my room.

"Yeah…" I replied.

She waited for me to go on…

"That's…my room at my mother's house. And the other one is my old high school…I think." I muttered uneasily.

"I thought as much…" she muttered.

"Devin."

"Devin?"

"Devin!"

"Huh?" I asked. I had barely even heard her voice. James was coming for me…coming here…was there anywhere I could go to be safe? I should never have left Jasper.

"Jasper is coming to get you. We're going to hide you for a while to keep you safe."

"Jaspers is coming?" I breathed in relief.

"Yes, he's catching a flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."

"But, my mother… he's coming here, Alice!"

"I'll stay here till she's safe."

"How can we do this Alice? You can't guard everyone I know forever. He'll find a way to get to me…I just know it. If he hurts someone…"

"We'll catch him, Devin," she assured me.

"And what if you get hurt, Alice? What if he hurts you to try to get to me? We should just give up. It's not worth all of this. I can't—" I broke of, my voice strained with tears.

Alice sat down on the bed and pressed my head to her shoulder where I sobbed silently. After a while, I realized how unpleasant that might have been for Alice, so I got up and went to the bathroom.

When I got out of the shower, Alice was sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television again.

"Anything new?" I croaked, my voice sore from crying.

She silently shook her head from left to right. When the phone rang, I looked to her eagerly, waiting for some sort of news. After the call, she informed me that Jasper, Edward and Carlisle were boarding their plane. "They'll be here around nightfall." She had said.

Then the phone started ringing again. I looked to Alice, but she remained still. Then I realized that it must be my phone. I pulled it from my pocket and saw that it was Steven calling me from his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Devin? You don't sound too good, are you okay?"

"I'm fine dad," I said reassuringly. "You don't have to—"

"Okay, here's the deal." A new voice said. It sounded vaguely familiar… I felt fear trickling down my spine as I realized who the voice was. "Do you want this all to be over?"

"Yes," I replied, my voice shaking slightly.

"Okay, I see you're not one for acting, but you have to try. Walk into the other room. On the way, I want you to say 'Dad, I'm fine. Mom will be home in a few more days.'"

I started walking to the bedroom, "Dad, I'm fine. Mom will be home in a few more days." I closed the door behind me.

"Are you alone now?" The calm voice asked me. "Just say yes or no."

"Yes," I replied, taking a deep breath.

"Now, to avoid your mother coming home to a rather nasty surprise, I suggest we meet somewhere." He said quickly. "Do you think you can ditch the girl? Yes or no?"

"No." I replied through gritted teeth.

"No need for hostility." He replied, sounding amused. "Well, let's put it this way. If you don't, I'll just wait here until your mother gets home. How does that sound?"

I opened my mouth to answer.

"Don't answer that. Just find a way to get away from her and then call me back and I'll tell you where to go from there."

"Okay," I replied quietly.

"Now say 'Bye, Dad' and hang up the phone."

"Bye, Dad" I said. I could hear him laughing as I closed the phone.

I couldn't move. I was literally immobilized with fear and rage. I told myself that fear wasn't what I needed right now. I needed a plan. I knew I couldn't tell Alice, because I couldn't risk any of the Cullens getting hurt over me. And if I couldn't do this…I shuddered at the thought of James killing my mother.

I knew what I had to do…It was the only way I could ensure everyone's safety.

I didn't know how I could face Alice or Jasper again, knowing that I was going to betray them like this. All they had ever done was try to protect me and I was going to go off and meet the guy who is obsessed with my death.

I slowly walked to the door, trying to show no signs of my conversation with James. Alice was waiting on the couch, looking at me with curious eyes.

"Alice, who's watching Steven?" I asked her. I had to make sure he was safe.

"Esme, why?" she asked, concerned.

"Can you call her? Steven didn't sound too well. I wanna make sure he's okay." I asked, trying to keep my voice steady through the panic.

She looked at me questioningly.

"He didn't sound like himself." I added, hoping it would reassure her.

She picked up her phone and held down a speed dial button.

"Esme?" she asked. "Devin's worried about Steven, does he look okay?"

She paused. It felt like time stopped as I waited.

"Okay, just checking." She said before closing the phone.

"Is he okay?" I asked, trying hard not to sound too concerned.

"Yes, Esme's watching him in the supermarket right now. She says he looks fine."

"Okay," I breathed. How was I going to leave all these people without saying goodbye? The thought brought tears to my eyes, but I fought them back. I looked around and my eyes fell upon some hotel stationary.

"I need to write something to my mother," I told her. She looked puzzled for a split-second, but then she nodded.

I walked into the other room, and closed the door again. Then I started writing my letter to Jasper.

_Jasper,_

_I'm so sorry. I had no other choice. He was threatening to kill my mom. If you're getting this, then I probably got away from Alice. Don't be mad at her, It's not her fault, I promise. __And please, please, don't come after him. I think that's what he wants. I don't want you getting yourself hurt over me. Please, this is the only thing I can ask of you. _

_I love you. Sorry I never got a chance to say it. Forgive me._

_Love, _

_ Devin._

I folded the letter, and placed it in the envelope carefully, fighting tears the whole time, then sealed the envelope containing the last Jasper would probably ever hear from me.

I walked back into the other room with Alice and sat the envelope on the table. I didn't know if I wanted to lock myself in the room because she would think something was wrong. But I also didn't want to be near her because she would probably notice something was wrong then too.

When I saw her, she had a look of intense concentration on her face. She opened her eyes, but they were completely blank.

"Alice?"

She didn't respond.

"Alice? What did you see?"

Nothing. Her eyes widened.

I could guess what she had seen…

"Alice?"

"Nothing," she replied calmly. "Nothing new. We should be getting to the airport though, they'll be here soon."

I shuddered at the thought. This was the moment of truth. I'd have to escape from a girl who can see the future_…great_. I nodded.

"Okay, I just need to make a call." She said, walking out into the hall. I could only imagine…she was probably calling to tell them that something was going to go wrong. Somehow I would end up somewhere with James…

She came back quickly, and then we left the hotel.

* * *

The airport was full of people. Just what I needed to pull this off. I contemplated whether to just run, or devise a more defined plan. I didn't think Alice would run after me in the middle of the airport.

We sat on a bench near the terminal that their plane was landing in. my foot was tapping impatiently. Alice seemed slightly suspicious as she glanced over at me every so often. The minutes ticked by as I waited for my chance. Unfortunately, these minutes also brought me closer to seeing Jasper, which tempted me to stay.

I watched a lady guiding a squeamish little boy and inspiration struck.

"Alice," I said, sounding calm. "I'm going to the restroom."

She nodded and stood up. _Shit! I was hoping she'd stay._

She followed me to the door of the men's' room, and then waited by the door, her expression going blank and her eyes glazing over. _Great…I better be hasty with the decisions._

I looked around and my eyes fell on the second exit directly across from the first. Before I knew it, I was running. I didn't look behind me as I ran. This was my only chance, and even if she saw me, I still had to keep going. People stared, but I ignored them. I made it to the door and hurried out into the cool air. I would have only seconds if she followed my scent. If she was looking, I'm sure she would find me in 5 second flat. I looked around for a cab. I pulled out my cell phone and ran to the nearest one. I dialed Steven's number and got in the cab as it rang.

"Good job, Devin."

"Where do I go?!" I asked frantically, ignoring the weird look the cab driver was giving me. I knew what he was going to say before he replied. I only called him because he told me to. I never wanted to hear his voice again, even though it was probably going to be the last sound I heard…

'Your old high school." He replied.

I hung up the phone and told the cab driver where to go.

"And hurry." I added.

We got there soon enough—Baton Rouge isn't that big—and I handed the driver the money. He didn't even ask why I was going to a school in the middle of the night, for this I gave him and extra $10. Then I reluctantly and uneasily exited the cab.

The school seemed foreboding as I slowly approached it. I looked up at the three stories of now creepy windows. I pulled the door open, taking a look at the low clouds that hung overhead, and felt shivers run up and down my spine as I plunged into moonlit darkness.

A/N: Okay so guess who sucks at cliff hangers…

I see that soooo many of you have added me to your story alert, yet I have so very few reviews… Eventually you're going to get tired of me asking and review just to tell me to shut up, but I wont mind (cuz at least I get a review)…

Bufster: Sorry, I already had this chapter typed when I posted the last one. Sowwy! Sowwy! So so SOWWy! And besides, Devin isn't Immune to Edward's mind reading abilities, which is why Devin didn't want him to go in the first place. Could you imagine someone in your head _all the time?!_ I don't see how the Cullens do it. But anyways, thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this Edward-less chapter!!! ;)


	13. Hide And Seek

Chapter 12: Hide-and-Seek

I tentatively walked into the dark school, feeling the air of the closing door brush my back. I walked forward, and into the middle of the empty hall. I squinted as I observed my dim surroundings.

Then I heard a ghostly laugh coming from my left. Startled, I ran without thinking. I made it to the staircase at the end of the hall.

"What's the point in running Devin?" I heard my killer say from down the hall as I scrambled up the stairs. "You can't outrun me…" His words sounded vaguely familiar, as if I had heard them somewhere a long time ago. He laughed. "And don't even think about fighting back." I made it to the second floor, and started making my way to the third, having no clue why my body was still propelling me forward.

"Oh, Deeeeevin." I heard Jasper's voice say. I wouldn't be tricked this time. I had heard him imitate my father and there was no way I'd let myself be fooled again.

"Shut up!!!" I yelled down the stairs.

"That's no way to talk to your boyfriend, Devin." I heard Steven say. He was really having fun with this. I vaguely recognized the warmth of tears on my cheeks as I ran.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled. I made it to the third floor, and sought refuge in one of the empty classrooms towards the middle of the shadowy hall.

My eyes searched frantically in the moonlight for some place to hide. I ducked behind the teacher's desk and tried to remain as silent as humanly possible.

A few seconds later, I heard the door creak open. My heart hammered in my chest.

"Ahh, your blood smells _so_ nice as it's coursing through your veins." He said, walking over to the teacher's desk.

"Leave me alone, please." I whispered.

"Do you think I came this far just to 'leave you alone'?" he asked incredulously.

I didn't answer.

"I came here for a fight." He told me.

"Well you're not getting one…" I told him, standing up. He took a step forward.

"Isn't your scary little _boy_friend going to come and defend you?"

"No," I told him. "He doesn't know I'm here. They'll probably be too late."

"Then we might just have to wait for him now won't we?" he said enticingly.

My eyes darted from him to the door and back. I made a run for the door. He didn't try and stop me, but as soon as I reached the hall, he appeared in front of me. I stopped in my tracks.

"When I kill you…will he avenge you?" he asked.

"No. I told him not to." He took a step closer.

"And what did he say?" he said, taking another step forward.

"I don't know...I left him a letter."

"How romantic," he said sarcastically.

He took yet another step forward, closing the distance between us. My heart skipped a beat. His face, inches from mine. His midnight black eyes piercing into mine.

"What if I stole you from him?" he asked. I smelled the intoxicatingly familiar scent he exuded. He took his hands and slowly traced his way up the sides of my arms. I shivered against his cold touch. He took a step even closer, and I clumsily took one back. He stepped forward, I stepped back. Each step he took forward, I took a larger one back, and eventually my back was to the side of the empty moonlit hall.

He leaned in, breathing in my scent. I shrank back against the wall and tried my hardest not to think.

"Do I entice you?" He asked, deliberately making his voice more alluring.

I tried to clear my head, but I was finding it hard to think since I happened to be backed against a wall with James breathing his vampire breath over me.

"N-no"

He took his hand and moved it slowly down my chest.

"Your body's saying something different," he said innocently, looking down.

I cursed myself mentally for the lack of control I seemed to have over my own body.

"S-stay away f-from me." I stammered.

"Shall we begin then?" he asked.

"…begin what…"

He just smirked. I could tell he wasn't going to make this easy for me. I felt nauseated. Why couldn't I have a quick and easy death? He took a few steps back and extended his arms to either side.

"Care to run?" he asked, still smirking.

I was immobilized. If I tried to move I would fall. I felt like I was going to fall just standing there. Somehow I managed to put my legs into motion, but I didn't get far. James was suddenly in front of me. I stared with disgust into the face of my passionate assassin. He took both his hands and pushed me backwards, sending me sliding backwards across the floor.

Then he was standing over me.

"You aren't hurt are you?" he asked sarcastically.

"F-fuck you."

"That's not—"he lifted me up by my shirt, "—very nice—"he threw me towards the end of the hall, causing a loud thud as I crashed into the wall. It felt like my entire body was vibrating and aching all over. …at least there was no bloodshed…

I fell to the ground, my back resting against the cool wall. Then, using his lightning fast speed, he was in front of me again. He smiled, and then kicked me in the stomach.

My vision went black for a second as the intensity of the blow struck me. I couldn't even scream I was in so much pain. The thunder outside crashed so hard that the building shook.

"P—pl—please…" I begged.

This made him laugh harder. He gave another crushing blow, this time steppig on my arm. I managed to push myself up and start to crawl towards the stairs. He let me go this time, and I actually managed to make it all the way to the stairs before he decided to kick me. _Thud…thud…thud.._as I rolled down the stairs. I ended up on the landing between the second and third floor and then he came gliding down the stairs to kick me brutally again. _Thud..thud..thud…crack! _My vision blurred as my head made contact with the cold floor.

I pushed myself up, fear keeping me from feeling the extent of my injuries. James was walking towards me, a new light in his eyes. Then I felt something wet touching my hand. I looked down to see a small pool of blood running from where my head hit the floor.

I now understood the gleam in his coal black eyes.

"I—"

"What's that Devin? I was just about to get to the finale."

"I—I give u-up" I stammered.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you. Speak up."

"I give up!" I yelled. "Just get it over with!"

He grabbed my arm and stood me up painfully (I was starting to regain feeling somewhat). The room spun and I hoped—no prayed—that I would black out, so that I wouldn't be awake when he killed me.

I heard a window crash, but I just assumed that was because of the ever-increasing storm. James seemed to think otherwise. I watched in blurred confusion as his eyes widened in what was either fear or excitement.

Then, I heard a crash from behind me. I heard a familiar sound…almost like thunder…or like rocks or something..

I felt something grab me and push me gently backward. My eyes were closed, so I didn't see what it was, but luckily, I kept my balance.

"Run Devin! RUN!"

"Stop it James, I already gave up. Just kill me already."

Then I felt the presence of something so close to me, I had to open my eyes.

"I never want to hear you say those words again in your life. Now _RUN!_"

"Jasper?!" I asked, blinking my vision clear.

"_**RUN!**_ And don't look back!" he said as he turned around and sped towards James, who had been thrown through a classroom wall.

I felt a fresh wave of adrenaline wash over me as I started running down the hall. I heard a loud screeching sound, followed by a scream of pain…it sounded like Jasper…

I followed his instructions and kept running. Then I came to a halt as someone grabbed me around the waist.

"Gotcha," James said.

I froze, feeling more terrified than I had all night.

"Stay away from him!" I heard Jasper yell. He sounded like he was far away…like he was on a different floor.

Then, he bit me…

I remember tensing up in shock as I felt something cold and sharp gliding smoothly into my arm. My entire arm was suddenly on fire. I had never felt such intense and concentrated pain in my life. The pain that felt like fire quickly radiated to my shoulder and elbow, and then down to my forearm and hand.

James was still biting me when my vision started to blur and my legs wavered. The last thing I remember hearing was the thud of my body collapsing and the sound of boulders crashing…

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I watched Devin fall to the floor. Instinct took over and all rational thought left me. I rushed at James, running faster than I could ever remember running in my extended life.

My almost animalistic tendencies told me that my mate was in danger, and I had to do _anything_ to remove the threat. My body connected with James' who was standing almost triumphantly over Devin's motionless corpse. We went through the wall and into one of the classrooms.

My unnaturally sensitive ears heard a disturbance downstairs, and for a second my heart stopped (figuratively, of course). I knew my experience outweighed James' ability, but if Victoria were here also, I didn't know how well I would fare. Then I heard a second and third sound, and relief flooded my senses.

"Jasper let the others take care of him! You come help me with Devin!" I heard Carlisle yell, and I quickly left James in the room, and went back out into the hall. Edward and Alice sped past me, towards James.

My attention was faintly grasped by the crashing sound of vampiric limbs being torn, reminding me of earlier when James had ripped off my arm, which was still sore.

My attention abruptly turned to the dark haired boy lying on the ground in front of Carlisle on the cold floor. I found myself plunging towards the ground in disbelief. I felt a pulse, but it was very faint, and slowing by the second.

"Devin…" I muttered.

"He's got a few broken ribs, and a slight concussion." Carlisle said, using his distant doctor's tone.

I took in a deep breath, to keep from screaming in rage.

"It's remarkable how you can do that," Carlisle remarked.

Then I heard a faint moan escape Devin's lips.

"James bit him." I told Carlisle. His expression grew grave; he looked appalled.

"I'm afraid this decision is up to you Jasper. The effects of the venom will become permanent shortly."

"Not yet—"

"Bur…burni…bur…"

"Then you'll have to suck the venom out," Carlisle interrupted.

Devin let out another moan of pain, as I stood over him indecisively. I was afraid for his blood to touch my lips, for I didn't know if I would be able to stop myself from drinking too much.

"Jasper, we don't have much time. I'm going to have to stop the bleeding on his head if you're going to be taking any additional blood." Carlisle said, gently lifting Devin's head.

I knelt down and took Devin's arm in my hands. His skin was warmer than usual, due to the venom slowly coursing its way through his veins.

I braced myself and then slowly put my mouth to his arm. The venom from James had tainted Devin's blood, but it still tasted overwhelmingly good. Luckily, the taint was enough to keep me from going crazy and taking too much blood. I let the blood flow gently into my mouth, realizing that this would be the only time I could taste human blood without feeling guilty. That thought alone almost drove me feral.

Moments later, I tasted the sweet taste of morphine making its way through Devin's bloodstream, signaling that his blood was clear of venom. I quickly forced myself to quit drinking, fearing that the intensity of the fresh blood would incite me to drink more.

"Devin," I called, wanting to make sure he was okay.

"Hmmmm?" he called out weakly.

"Are you okay? Has the burning stopped?"

"Mmhmmm," he said sleepily.

I swooped down to give him a kiss on the forehead. I saw his lips twitch, as if he were trying feebly to smile.

"Are you guys ready to leave?" Alice asked, coming in from the classroom. "We got all the gasoline poured. All we need to do now is light it up."

"Okay," I replied, leaning down to pick up Devin and cradle him in my arms.

"Jas—ja—jaz—" he mumbled.

"Shhh." I told him. "Just sleep. Everything will be fine."

I knew from this very moment that nothing would be fine. Things would only get more complicated for us from here…

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

I sat there quietly, observing my surroundings. I heard someone snoring above the dulled and busy sounds of a hospital. I also heard the constant yet slow beeping that ensured me that I was indeed alive. I smelled the sterile scent that all hospitals seemed to share. I tried to lift my hand, but there was what I assumed to be an IV in the way. I shuddered at the thought of a giant needle up my arm. I tried to lift my other hand to shield my eyes from the blindingly white light I could sense on the other side of my eyelids, but it was in a cast.

I opened my eyes, and winced at the intensity of the light. I also noticed that my entire torso was wrapped in bandages, and it stung when I tried to breathe. I saw that my mother—surprisingly enough—was the source of the snoring sound. I looked to my right and saw the little remote that controlled the automatic bed. I held the button that slowly lifted me into a sitting position and my mom woke with a start.

"You're awake? Oh, Devin." She said, rising from her chair and making her way across the room. "They told me all about what happened. I'm so happy you're okay."

She simply grasped my hand, unable to give me a hug.

I didn't exactly know _who_ told her what happened, or _what_ they told her, so I just smiled. Suddenly, I heard my heart rate speed up, and I felt anxious. Then I noticed Jasper standing outside the door to my room.

My mother followed my gaze, and took a step back.

"I met Jasper and his family." She said simply.

I felt an even greater rush of anxiousness wash over me. She looked up at the heart rate monitor, and hurried to reassure me.

"Oh, don't worry. Steven told me ages ago."

"Oh…" I said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"He really likes you." She said. "He came in here like every ten minutes, I swear."

"Yeah," I said, smiling and looking towards the door.

"Well, I'll let you two have your privacy…" she said, turning towards the door.

Seconds after she left, Jasper came in. I felt unbelievable relief, finally seeing his face after what seemed like forever. He seemed just as relieved.

I immediately noticed something different. His eyes. They were no longer gold or even black as they should have been. They were a strange reddish-orange color, but not quite crimson like James or the other nomads.

"How are you," I asked.

"Shouldn't _I _be asking _you_ that?" he said with a smile.

"I asked you first." I replied.

"How about I _show_ you," he said.

"Okay?" I said apprehensively.

Then I felt the most amazing symphony of emotion wash over me. It was as if he were conducting each feeling with his mind. I felt instantly warm all over, making my injuries all but melt away. It felt like the first day of spring. It felt like the first time you successfully ride a bike. It reminded me of…my first kiss with Jasper.

I took a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from exploding, and winced as my lungs screamed in protest.

The beautiful mix of emotions disappeared. Jasper was now giving me a weird look of apprehension and fear.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"Your arm, a few ribs, and a concussion." He said remorsefully.

"Why didn't you just…" I started. But then I thought of what Alice had said.

"_He doesn't want it to influence your decision. He wants you to be able to decide for yourself…He still doesn't think he deserves you"_

"I wanted you to decide…" he said, looking away shyly. "…that is….if you wanted to be with me…"

"What do you mean? Of course I want to be with you!" I said, hearing my heart rate speed up.

"Devin…" he said, looking troubled. "Can we please not talk about this?"

"Fine." I said grumpily. He probably knew that I wasn't going to let it go anytime soon. "How did you even manage to stop?" I asked, looking into his red-orange eyes.

"It was frighteningly hard. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to…It's jus that you tasted _so_ good. I never want to be subjected to that much temptation ever again…"

"Umm, thanks?" The strange look of hurt in his eyes bothered me. I heard a knock on the door, and my mother came back into the room.

"I'll leave you two…" Jasper said, walking from the room.

I sat, waiting for an explanation as to why my mother just made my angel leave the room. She crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed. I looked at her questioningly.

"Steven told me why you came home," she started. I didn't like the way she said _home_.

"That was stupid of me. I was upset, and I acted impulsively. That was a mistake," I answered. She looked slightly hurt and confused by my words.

"So, you're going back?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, mom. I am." I said, trying to sound stern.

"It's because of _him_ isn't it?" she asked.

"Maybe it is." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, I think maybe you should stay."

"Well _I_ don't." I said simply.

"Suit yourself." She said, as she turned to leave the room. "I'll be back later."

As soon as she left, Jasper was back beside my bed, holding my hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine." I said, and then the words started flowing from my mouth before I could stop and think. "She's always like that! She thinks she knows what's best for everyone! And it's like she doesn't care about my happiness at all! Did she not hear me say I _want_ to live in Forks? Ugh!"

"Why?"

I looked at him in disbelief. "Why _not_?"

"Because then you could have a normal life." he said, looking down.

"Jasper." I said, forcing him to look at me. "Who needs normal when I could have you?"

He contemplated for a second. Then a look of inspiration flew across his face.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked eagerly.

I looked at him skeptically, trying to see his motive. "Of course…why?"

He didn't answer. He simply leaned forward and pressed his cold lips to mine. The thing next to the bed started beeping erratically. I tried to reach up and put my arm around him, but pulled back as a sharp pain ran through my arm.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Do you need some pain meds? I can call the nurse."

He reached towards the call button. "No, I'm fine!" I told him. "Just kiss me again."

"There will be plenty of time for that later," he said, pressing the button.

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

"Yes?" the speaker on the wall squawked.

"I think we're ready for more pain medication," he said calmly.

"I'll send in the nurse." The voice sounded very bored

Then, a nurse came in with a syringe. She brushed past Jasper and injected the medicine into my tube. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately.

"Jasper?" I asked, once the nurse had left.

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me again, please." I pleaded.

"You need your rest. It's the only way you'll heal in a timely manner."

"Pweeeeease?" I begged drowsily.

He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "There."

"Not what I meant…" I said, drowsily. "…But thanks."

"You're welcome, Devin. Now go to sleep."

"Okay," I said, closing my eyes.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, but it might be a while before the next chapter. But don't forget about me! R&R


	14. Sunny Prelude

A/N: I'm back! Thanks for the lovely reviews. I'm loving the feedback, good or bad. Sorry about the delay (I have a feeling you're gonna be hearing that a lot.) I promise to try to get new chapters out asap. And about the canon thing, My story will most likely have most of the major plot points from Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse (Not exactly in that order). So sometimes, it might seem like a lot of canon, but I promise I'll try to stay away from that as much as possible. I _promise_ it will be different! And I do have something up my sleeve, I'm just afraid you aren't gonna like it… :/

I'm going to start giving an excerpt from every chapter at the beginning or end of each chapter. So here's the excerpt from chapter 13:

"_I took a second to think about it...to think about the sheer intensity of our relationship. It felt like so different than a typical high school romance…like so much more. I couldn't define it, but I knew it was something greater than love. It was like our whole existence was for each other. He had already said he couldn't live without me, and I was starting to believe I couldn't live without him either. He meant everything to me."_

Chapter 13: Sunny Prelude

**Book 2**

Everything went back to normal in the weeks that followed the incident, even though I was pretty pissed that I missed my first prom. My school days were filled with me being wheeled around in a wheelchair by Angela and Jasper. While I was at home, I was either accompanied by Jasper or Steven (neither of which liked to leave me anywhere alone for more than five minutes).

Physical therapy with Carlisle was hell, and I dreaded every painful moment of it. But thanks to Carlisle, I had a faster recovery than any average human could ever wish for, and by the middle of the summer I was back to full health.

I was so happy when I could finally move around without the help of others. I celebrated by driving Jasper to Port Angeles for dinner at La Bella Italia just like our first date. I was glad for our date because I felt to me like Jasper and I needed something special and unexpected. After the 'incident', he became so distant…but after the date everything went back to normal…

Or so I thought…that summer…things only got weirder…

* * *

"Hey Devin, I'm gonna go down to the reservation and do some fishing with Billy," Steven yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Can I come?" I yelled, desperate for an escape. Today was one of those rare, once-in-a-lifetime days where it's actually sunny in Forks, Washington. And since my vampire boyfriend didn't want me to spend my whole day inside with him, he decided to go hunt with the rest of his family. Therefore, I had nothing better to do. So why not go visit Jacob, and Embry, and that other kid whose name I don't remember?

I grabbed my jacket and ran down the stairs.

"Are you sure you want to come _fishing _with us?" Steven asked.

"Of course not, dad, I'm just gonna hang out in La Push for a little while." I reassured him.

"Oh, okay." He replied. How could he even think that I'd ever go fishing with him and Billy? I'd never be _that_ bored.

We made it to La Push, and surprisingly, Billy didn't give me the death-glare I was expecting. He actually seemed…excited?...to see me? To him, I guess it seemed that any attempt at hanging out with anyone in La Push was better than being around the Cullens.

Billy told me that I could find Jacob out back, working on his car. Then I remembered. All the Quileute boys were obsessed with cars.

I went around to the back to see a shabby old garage, composed of two sheds that had been stuck together with the middle walls knocked out of both. Inside the shed was a shirtless Jacob, leaning over the inner workings of a small red car.

"Hey Jacob!" I yelled. He jumped and hit his head on the hood of the car.

"OUCH!" he screeched, his voice cracking.

"Oops…" I muttered.

"Where'd you come from?!" he yelled.

"Billy and Steven are going fishing, and I decided to come along." I explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…" he said with a slight frown.

"Nice car you got there," I said, attempting at small talk.

"Yep," he replied shortly.

"What kind is it?" I asked.

"A 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit."

"Nice." I said, having no clue whether that was actually nice or not. Jacob didn't say anything, so I continued.

"Where are your friends?" I asked.

He lifted his gaze from the car and gave me a weird look.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Who said anything was wrong?" he said sullenly.

"Your face did, now what's wrong?" I insisted.

"I don't know…" he started. "Things have been weird between us…"

"Is it because of…?"

"No, it's not even that. We got over that. It's just that…" he paused. "Embry's been acting weird lately. I'm worried about him."

"why? What's going on?"

"Okay, this is going to sound like I'm some crazy conspiracy theorist, but here goes: Okay, do you remember Sam from when we were down at the beach?" he asked.

I vaguely remembered him as that older guy who had said that the Cullens weren't allowed on the reservation. "Yeah, I think so."

"Well he stopped hanging out with anyone on the reservation not too long ago, then, he got 'sick' and disappeared for a while. When we saw him again, he still wouldn't hang out with anyone on the rez."

"You don't think he was really sick?" I asked.

"I don't know. It's weird because the same thing happened to two other guys. They both got sick and then cut their hair really short like his, and now they're both hanging out with Sam every second of the day. I'm scared because I think the same thing might be happening to Embry…"

"what about your other friend..umm"

"Quil? He thinks I'm paranoid."

"Oh…"

"You believe me don't you?" he asked.

"…I don't know…" I said truthfully. It _did_ sound like a stretch.

He sighed.

"How about if we go and visit Embry?"

"Sure, whatever." He said, walking towards his small little house. "Just let me grab a shirt and I'll meet you around the front."

I walked around to the front of his hut-like home and waited in the shade of a tree.

It wasn't long before Jacob came striding out the front door. Even though he was a year younger than me, he was already taller than me.

"Let's go," he said sternly.

I followed silently as he led down the dirt roads of La Push, towards wherever it was that Embry lived.

Embry's house was the same old small wooden house with narrow windows like Jacob's. We walked up the three little stairs and Jacob knocked hard on the wooden door. A slender woman with long black hair came to the door. She had the same copper skin that all the Quileutes shared, and her eyes were a deep shade of brown.

"I'm sorry Jacob, Embry's not feeling well." She said wearily.

"I know, we came to see him." He told her.

She then turned her attention to me.

"Hi, I'm Devin Michaels, my dad is—"

"Officer Michaels," she finished. "Nice to meet you, but Embry is in no condition for visitors. What if he's contagious?"

"We'll take our chances," Jacob said, flashing a smile.

She frowned a little, and then sighed. "Fine…"

She stepped aside, and I followed Jacob into the house.

Though the house was small, Ms. Call had done a very nice job of making it feel warm and inviting. Jacob led the way to Embry's room, and didn't knock as he pushed open the door.

Sleeping, curled up on his side in a too small bed, was Embry. He groaned at the sound of the disturbance, and rolled onto his back.

"Embry?" I said softly.

Another groan.

Jacob sighed. "Hey Embry! Wake up!" he yelled.

"Huh? What?!" Embry said, waking with a start.

"You've got visitors bonehead, wake up." Jacob said.

"Go away, I'm sick." He muttered before placing a pillow over his messy head.

"Why do you think we're here?"

"Who's 'we'?" he mumbled from under the pillow.

"Me and Devin."

"Hi Embry." I added.

"Oh," he said, removing his head from beneath the pillow. "Hey Devin," he said, trying to smooth out his hair a little.

"How ya feelin?" I asked conversationally.

"Terrible," he replied. "I hurt from my scalp to my toenails."

"That must suck," Jacob replied.

"Yeah. It does." He said, glaring at Jacob. "I also have been throwing up my guts a lot, my throat's sore, and I think I have a fever."

I started across the room.

"Stay back! I might be contagious!" he yelled.

"Calm down, I'm just trying to see if you have a fever," I told him.

I reached over the bed and laid the back of my hand across his forehead. I immediately withdrew my hand. His skin was _scorching_!

"Whoa!" I shouted.

"Is it that bad?" he moaned.

"Yes! I'm surprised you're alive right now!" I replied.

"Any idea what it is?" Jacob asked.

"No idea. Mom thinks it's mono," he said, his voice raspy.

"Isn't that the kissing disease?" I asked, not realizing the awkwardness of what I'd just said…

Luckily, there was a knock on the door, and Ms. Call peered into the room.

"Jacob, Devin, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Someone else is here to see Embry." She said to us.

"Who?" Jacob asked. She didn't answer; she just left the room quietly.

"Bye Embry, hope you feel better." I said, turning towards the door.

"See ya Embry," Jacob said reluctantly. He didn't seem happy with being forced to leave without it being his idea.

"Bye Devin, Bye Jake."

On our way out, I saw three boys standing underneath a tree across the street from Embry's house.

"Ugh, Sam." Jacob said under his breath as we started walking away from the house.

What Jacob had said was true. Sam and those two other boys all looked the same. They all had short, almost buzz-cut hair, and they were all wearing plain white t-shirts with cutoff jeans and no shoes. If anything, I'd say they looked like a cult or something.

Then I saw Sam give Jacob the weirdest look. It was a smug look, a look that implied that he could read Jacob like a book, and could tell you anything you wanted to know about him.

I realized I was staring, when Sam and his friends crossed the street and disappeared behind Embry's front door.

"I knew it," Jacob said, and I realized I wasn't the only one staring. "Now do you believe me?"

"Yeah, something's definitely up…but it doesn't make sense. What does Embry being sick have to do with Sam and his friends?"

"That's what I want to know…" Jacob replied.

We walked back to Jacob's house in silence, and I told him to tell my dad that I got Jasper to pick me up, and that I'd be home for dinner. Then I got out my cell phone and called Jasper.

"You scared away our deer!" someone growled ferociously into the phone.

"Rosalie?"

"Hello? Devin? Is everything all right?"

"Jasper?"

"Sorry about that…" he said.

"Are you done yet?" I asked childishly.

"Not…particularly…" he said.

I sighed dramatically. "Okay…I'm just _so_ bored…"

I could hear Alice and Rosalie arguing in the background.

"I don't know why you hate him so much"

"I don't hate the kid, he just has terrible timing!"

"It's not like he knew or anything."

"We're on a _hunting _trip, what are the odds we might actually be _hunting_."

"Oops," I said.

He laughed, "They'll be like that all evening."

"Sorry about that," I said. "I just miss you a lot."

"I miss you too, I'm just a little hungry, that's all." He said nonchalantly.

"Okay, I'll let you get back to hunting." I told him.

"I'm probably going to come home later today. After James, it kind of makes me nervous to be away from you for too long." He said. I got chills at the thought of James.

"Okay, I'm thinking of going to the beach."

"Which beach?" he asked nervously.

"The Quileute beach."

"Okay, I'll call you when I'm done and tell you where to meet me." Then I remembered that the Cullens weren't allowed on La Push because of some not-so-silly superstitions.

"Okay, see you then." I said.

"Bye"

"Bye." I closed the phone and started walking towards the beach.

I decided to take of my shoes and go sit on a driftwood 'bench' and stare at the waves. I loved how peaceful and calm it made me feel. As if I was one with nature. The clouds floated beautifully across the sky, ending on the side of the sky that held the sun. It was truly breathtaking. It reminded me of one of those cheap postcards you find in stores.

I sat there for a while, just staring into space, thinking. About love, about happiness, my future, everything. I was so deep in thought, that I didn't notice the sun start to set, and I didn't notice someone approaching me.

"I thought you said Cullen was coming to pick you up? Your dad went home already." I heard Jacob say from right beside me.

"Whoa! Where'd you come from?" I asked, startled out of my reverie.

"My house," he stated plainly.

"Oh," I said sarcastically. "well, _Jasper_," I didn't like him referring to Jasper as 'Cullen'," is on his way back from a hiking trip with his family right now, so yeah."

"Oh, that explains it." He said.

"So what brings you to the beach?" I asked.

"I don't know…"

"Still worried about Embry?" I asked.

"Yeah, kinda," he said distractedly.

"Sorry I made things awkward back there…"

"What?!" he asked, breaking away from his thoughts.

"Remember? Me mentioning…kissing?"

"Oh…that," he said with a frown.

"Yeah," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"I mean, I obviously don't care if he's gay. I'm hanging out with you aren't I?" this statement caught me off guard. I didn't know he knew I was gay… "I just don't want him to like me…I mean we're friends, and I'm not gay…I don't want him to get upset when I get a girlfriend because he has a crush on me..."

"I'm sure that now that he knows you aren't interested, he'll move on to someone else." I told him.

"I hope so…"

"Boys are—"my cell phone rang. Immediately I had it up to my ear.

"Jasper?" I asked, since I didn't look at the phone before I answered.

"Yeah, where are you?" he asked. I could hear the faint hum of a motor running in the background.

"Still on the beach, with Jacob." I told him.

"Okay, I can't come and get you, so you're going to have to meet me where La Push ends on the main road."

"How do I get there?" I asked.

"Just walk down the main road until you see my car." He told me.

"Kay, see you then," I said before closing the phone. "Wanna walk with me?" I asked Jacob.

"Sure," he said, getting to his feet. "Better than being alone."

While we walked, I got to know Jacob better. We talked about school, and his car, and he told me fun stories about him, Quil and Embry.

It was a fairly long walk, and I decided never to come to La Push again without my truck. It took a while, but eventually I saw Jasper's black car waiting on the side of the road. He was leaning against the driver's door, looking like the sexiest hiker I had ever seen in my life. He actually looked like he had been chasing a wild animal, but I knew no one but me would actually think that. He was wearing cargo shorts that were dirty and muddy in some places, and a jacket that was also slightly dirtied.

I gave Jasper a hug, told Jacob bye, and then got into the car.

"Have fun?" I asked as he turned around and started speeding towards Forks.

"Yeah, you sure look like you did."

"Oh, this?" he said, "This is from me beating Emmet at wrestling. We don't make a mess when we eat."

"Oh…there's so much stuff I still don't know about you…"

"All in good time," he said cheerfully. In fact he was so cheerful that I could feel it radiating into myself.

"So, you were so bored that you went to La Push?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah, Steven was going fishing, and I decided to visit some friends." He said.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"It was okay," I told him. "I'm happy you're back though."

"Me too."

"Where are we going?" I asked, noticing the familiar streets of Forks.

"Your house," he told me.

I frowned. "Why?"

"I'm going to ask your dad if you can spend the night at our place."

"Why?" I asked again.

"It's a surprise." He said with a smirk.

I sighed. "Ugh, surprises…"

He laughed. "So you're game?" he asked.

"Have you been studying your 20th century slang?"

He glared at me playfully. "I've been around enough high school kids to know how to talk like one. Besides, every day I spend with you I get more and more like an average teenager."

"Well, yes, I guess I'm 'game'. But only because I want to know what this stupid surprise is."

When we got home, Jasper used his charm to convince Steven to let me stay over for something, but he wouldn't let me stay in the room and listen to him explain. Instead, he told me to go upstairs and pack some clothes.

When I came back down he told me that everything went well with Steven. I told my dad goodbye, then went out and put my stuff in the car.

* * *

When we got to the clearing in the woods that held the Cullen manor, I was astonished. Strung high in the sky, across the trees, were white paper lanterns, creating an ambient glow along with the setting sun.

"Wow…" I said. "Alice did this?"

"Of course. The whole family helped plan this." He said casually.

He held my hand and led me to the porch. He stopped at the door, and my heart was racing. Surprisingly, he didn't do anything to slow my system down.

"Devin," he said, gazing deeply into my eyes.

"Hm?" I said, feeling the intensity of his stare.

"You know I love you right?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course. Why?" I asked, my heart rate growing faster.

He ignored my question. "And you love me…right?"

"You ask me that like you don't know," I said.

"Devin, seriously." He said, still staring intently into my eyes.

I took a second to think about it...to think about the sheer intensity of our relationship. It felt like so different than a typical high school romance…like so much _more. _I couldn't define it, but I knew it was something greater than love. It was like our whole existence was for each other. He had already said he couldn't live without me, and I was starting to believe I couldn't live without him either. He meant everything to me.

"I do, of course I love you Jasper. You _do_ know that right?" I asked.

He exhaled. "Just needed to make sure."

"Well, yes. I. Love. You. Jasper Hale."

He smirked, then leaned in and kissed me. And honestly, it was probably the best kiss I had ever had. It felt like…love.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Soooooo sorry about the wait, but do know that there will be more time in between posts, but hopefully never this long again.

_Peace, Love, and Vampires_

--Kevyncito


	15. Dessert

A/N: Heh, heh…here's where it gets a little PG... So some of you might want to umm…not read the section that's marked off by stars.

Excerpt: _He laughed quietly, then looked at me devilishly. "Believe me, I _want _to."_

* * *

Jasper broke the kiss, and looked towards the door. I assumed he meant for me to open it.

I opened the door, and immediately noticed that all of the furniture in the living room had been removed. The only thing remaining was a small round table, with a candle and flowers upon it. There were two chairs placed at either end of the table. I could smell the faint smell of something cooking in the kitchen. I turned around in the doorway, and stared in awe at Jasper.

"For us?" was all I could manage.

He nodded.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Out hunting, remember?" he reminded me.

"So, you got them to go hunt so we could have dinner?"

"No," he corrected. "I got them out of the house so we could have a night alone, just you and me. "

I was still in awe.

"Do you want dinner?" he looked past me toward the table that was set up.

"Yes, please." I said, moving to the side, allowing him to enter. He disappeared with a whoosh and reappeared with a steaming plate of food in his hand.

He looked towards me at the door. "Are you coming in?"

I slowly walked up to the table. He had prepared a plate of Chicken Parmesan, one of my favorite dishes. He pulled out the chair for me (a gesture I would have normally taken offense to) and I took a seat. He walked around the table and sat down.

"So you're just going to watch me eat?" I asked.

"That's the plan," he informed me. "Don't worry, I'm not hungry."

He laughed. I smiled, looking down at my plate.

"Why is there so little?" I asked.

"So you can save room for dessert."

"Fair enough," I said, taking a bite of the pasta.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's delicious." I replied. "Did you cook this?"

He smiled, and then nodded. "With a little help from Esme. She's the one who knows her way around the kitchen."

I continued to eat, while Jasper went to go put some music on.

"This is Edward's personal mix, made just for us.

"You're whole family, really did help plan tonight, didn't they?"

"In their own way, yes."

I smiled at the thought of the Cullens all pitching in to let me and Jasper have a candle lit dinner.

I felt a little self-conscious with him watching me eat, but then I realized that Jasper was someone I should never feel self-conscious around. He _was_ in love with me after all. Still, I made sure not to miss my mouth, or spill anything.

"So," I started. "You never told me what the occasion was."

"Who said there was an occasion?" he asked with a smirk.

I just stared at him, smiling. Then I reached across the table to kiss him.

After I finished my main entrée, he brought out dessert.

It was a slice of turtle cheesecake. My eyes lit up as soon as he sat it in front of me.

"My favorite…" I muttered to myself. I didn't even remember telling him that.

"Yeah, I know. I asked Angela." He said. "I really don't see what your fascination is really."

"What?! It's delicious!" I said, grabbing a fork full and stuffing it in my mouth.

"Human food. Eww." He said, frowning jokingly. "Blood tastes _so_ much better."

"I bet it does…" I said.

"Done yet?" He asked, looking down at my almost finished cheesecake.

"What's the rush?" I asked.

"You'll see." Then he started humming the tune of the music.

I scarfed down the last of my cheesecake, and stood up in anticipation.

"Now what?" I asked. He looked up at me questioningly.

"Be right back," he said before darting from the room for a split second.

When he reappeared, he was standing directly behind me. I gasped as I felt his cold lips press against my neck. Before I knew it, I was flying through the darkness of the house.

We came to a stop at an empty room at the end of the hall. A room I hadn't been in. He sat me down gently on the ground, and opened the door. Against one of the walls was a large white bed. On the other wall was the window/wall, behind which, the moon and stars could be seen.

"Jasper? Wha—"I started to say what's going on, but before I got a chance, he had turned around and kissed me.

He picked me up, and slowly walked me over to the bed, not breaking the kiss the whole time. Then finally, he pulled back.

"A bed?" I asked breathlessly.

He laughed. "Yes. A bed."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"What's the point?" I asked.

He shrugged. "­ _I_ like it."

"But if we're not gonna—"

"Who said any of that?" he asked.

"_YOU!_" I yelled.

"I don't remember ever saying that. I just said it would be hard for me, but that's before I was able to resist your blood."

"So does that mean…?"

"Mhm. I'm almost positive I won't lose control. I even put extra blankets on the bed and turned on the heater so you wouldn't get cold." He said.

I thought about it for a second. "Your _family_ knew about this?!"

"Umm yes…actually."

"Wow…"

"Well, I mean, they had to know. I had to ask Carlisle for advice to make sure that I wouldn't hurt you, and then Alice started planning everything out, then Edward provided the music, Emmet just cracked jokes, and Rosalie encouraged me to go through with it, and helped pick out a bed."

Something about that just seemed so…_embarrassing_. But I guess that when they say no secrets, they mean _no secrets_.

"What's wrong?" he asked, eyeing me anxiously.

"Nothing." I frowned.

"Am I doing something wrong? Is this not how you imagined it?" he asked worriedly.

I smiled. "No, it's not that." I told him. "Jasper, you don't have to do this if you don't want to…"

"_You_ want this don't you?" he asked. His face was serious.

"Of course, but I don't want us to just because I want to."

He laughed quietly, then looked at me devilishly. "Believe me, _I want to_."

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

Then, he kissed me. It started out nervous and clumsy—not even our first kiss was like that—but eventually we fell into a steady rhythm.

I reached down, and started unbuttoning Jasper's shirt, revealing his beautiful pale white abs. I reached around his abs and pulled him on top of me. Then I used my arm, which was still wrapped around him, to pull him closer.

Our kisses grew faster, and more eager. I repositioned us to where I was on top, kissing Jasper's neck and chest before moving back up to his mouth. Then he rolled us around again and began kissing me ravenously.

He pulled my shirt over my head, and started kissing my chest. I let out a small, involuntary moan, and Jasper raised his head and cocked it to the side.

"You like that?"

I was breathing hard. "Yes" was all I could manage to say.

Then he started kissing my chest again, this time slower. His cool lips felt amazing against my stomach. Then he decided to speed up. Faster and faster, until it felt like I was being kissed in numerous places at the same time. I don't remember _ever_ being that turned on in my life. He slowed down, and settled on kissing my neck—my favorite spot to be kissed. He trailed from my neck, all the way down the line of my jaw and back up to my ear.

I released my hold on Jasper and reached under the covers for his belt buckle. I successfully undid his pants before he disappeared.

"Wh—"I stammered, before I noticed that he was merely stripping himself of his pants.

I took the opportunity to do the same, throwing my pants onto the floor beside the bed.

I looked back towards Jasper. He was wearing a pair of white boxer-briefs. He swiftly flew back to his position above me in the bed. I didn't fail to notice the bulge in his underwear before he moved.

His skin felt amazing against mine. I was glad that he turned on the heat. I could tell that my body heat was warming his icy skin. He had his arm around me, pulling us closer. He rubbed his hand up and down my leg, which only increased my drive. In addition to this, his power seemed to be going into overdrive, because even now, I could feel the extra intensity in my emotions.

I pushed him off of me, and then moved on top of him, eager to cause some mischief of my own. I ran my hands down his front, and began rubbing him below the waist. I felt the vibrations from his responding moan in my chest and lips. This turned me on more. I used my hands to slowly pull off his underwear.

I then trailed kissed slowly, and seductively from his neck, to his chest, and then to his abs. His breathing had grown ragged—even though he didn't need to breathe. I then used my tongue to play with him for a while, only making him moan in frustration.

Then I slowly put it in my mouth—having never done this before—and moved up and down on his cool hardened member. When I saw that the reaction I received was indeed a positive one, I grabbed his thighs and started moving faster.

Then I felt his hand on my head, guiding my head up and down, faster and faster.

Then I stopped, not wanting him to get too far before I was ready for him to. I slowly made my way up his chest, finally kissing his neck deeply. He rolled me over, and started caressing my body while I was still kissing his neck. He pulled back, and kissed me on the lips before traveling beneath the sheets.

His cold lips felt amazing as they moved down my warm chest. It felt weird, yet oddly spine-tingling. Jasper seemed to have no reservations when it came to making me wait, because within minutes, I had taken all I could take and had slipped into a mind-numbing oblivion.

I'd never felt that good in my life. His cool tongue on my skin: Nothing can compare.

But it wasn't over.

Then, Jasper lifted my legs and parted them. A light wave of fear washed over me, but Jasper then leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

I melted. Fear? Gone—this might have been Jasper's doing, but I really couldn't tell anymore.

There was some pain, I admit, but I really didn't care at that point. I was on cloud nine. The pleasure overrode the pain tenfold. He kissed me fervently, and I clung weakly to him as my mind struggled to process the frenzy of emotion I was feeling.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

When we were done, we just laid there kissing, until I finally clung to his chest, totally exhausted.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, you are my everything." He replied back, kissing me on the forehead as I lay wrapped in his arms.

* * *

"Mmmm, Good morning." I said, rolling over.

"Good morning, my love."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," I said sleepily.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Beautifully. Was that as good for you as it was for me?"

"Better," he replied with a smile before leaning in to give me a quick kiss on the lips.

"I should go take a shower," I said. "Wanna come with me?"

He laughed—not quite the response I was looking for. "You know what they say about too much of a good thing."

I stuck my tongue out at him before hopping out of bed and running down the hall to one of the bathrooms.

The bathroom was pretty normal, except for the fact that it was three times the size that any given master bathroom would be. It was also very barren, and white—but I assumed that was because of how seldom it was used.

I already knew how amazing vampires smelled—like honey and sunlight in Jasper's case—so I assumed that they simply were in no need of a shower. And since they were pretty much aesthetically perfect, they needed no acne cream or anything like that. Then I started to wonder—if they're technically dead—can they style their hair? I pondered the possibilities while I grabbed a towel and turned on the shower.

"Devin, you have a phone call," I heard Jasper yell as I was toweling off.

He cracked the door and held my cell phone through the opening. I grabbed the phone and held it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Devin? Hey, we need to talk." I heard the voice of a young man, with the slight hint that whoever it was had just left puberty.

"Who is this? Jacob?" I asked, pulling on my clothes in the process.

"No—Embry. Can you meet me somewhere?"

"Uh—"I thought of Jasper. "I guess…are you okay?...is it important?"

I heard something reminiscent to one of Jasper's growl. "I'm fine—look, can you meet me or not. I don't have all day."

"Embry?" Who was I talking to? This wasn't the shy, sweet Embry I met at the beach. Something was wrong.

He sighed. "Sorry," he said. I could hear some of the tension leaving his voice. "So, are you coming?"

"Umm, yeah. Where do you want me to meet you?"

"The beach. I'll find you." Click. That was it. _So _weird.

"What was that about?" Jasper asked conversationally as I walked into the kitchen.

"I need to go to La Push." I told him.

He frowned. "You know I don't like you going there…"

"I know, and if I could help it, I wouldn't go. It's just that I have friends there. And one of them says he really needs to see me, so I'm sorry but I have to." I told him in a rush.

"Don't worry. It's okay. Just because I don't like you going there doesn't mean I won't let you. You can do whatever you want. I just want you to be safe, and I can't be there to protect you."

"I promise to do my best to stay safe." I told him. "Can you take home so I can get my car?"

"No breakfast?" he asked.

"It sounded urgent." I reminded him.

"How about I go take a quick shower while you grab some breakfast."

"Vampires don't need to shower!" I yelled after him when he disappeared.

"After last night they do!" he yelled back with a ghostly chuckle.

I glowered at the emptiness of the kitchen.

The breakfast he had prepared really looked too good to pass up. I reluctantly sat down and chomped on a piece of toast while I waited...

A few minutes later, he reappeared and I went into a sensory overload. Of course he was beautiful, but that combined with his just-out-of-the-shower hair and the orgasmic scent that seemed to be calling me from across the room almost made me forget La Push altogether. I immediately threw myself at him.

He stopped me before our lips could meet. "Wasn't there somewhere you needed to go?"

"Huh?"

"La Push, remember?" he said. Then I remembered Embry's call.

"Yeah, let's go." I told him, heading for the door.

We got to my house in minutes, thanks to the Cullen-style driving they all seemed to posses, and once we finally said goodbye I felt sluggish driving my old beat down truck. After what felt like forever, I finally made it to the La Push beach.

I decided to sit down on a driftwood log and wait. _The beach. I'll find you. _What's that even supposed to mean? It didn't take long to find out, because shortly after I heard someone call my name. I stood up as he walked over. Embry was wearing a plain black t-shirt and a pair of old sweatpants rolled up to the knee. As he walked up, i noticed a few changes in his appearance. His face looked less adolescent, and more defined. He also seemed to walk differently. More confidently.

"Hey Embry," I said once I was sure he was close enough to hear me. "I see you're feeling better..."

"Yeah, I guess." he said quietly.

"Wanna tell me what this is about?" I asked, taking control of the situation.

He looked grudgingly at the ground. "Don't take this the wrong way, but..."

"But what?" I asked.

"It's about your boyfriend...Jasper..."

"What about him?" I asked, slightly offended.

"He's bad for you," he said, looking me dead in the eye.

"What?!" I yelled. "Did Billy put you up to this?"

"What? No! Stop yelling." he said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Look, there's no need to beat around the bush here.

"I know what they are...and I don't want to see you die because you're hanging around those little bloodsuckers. Maybe you should ju—"

"NO, What makes you think you know what's best for me?"

"Devin, you have to trust me. Me and the guys—"

"Y-you and the guys? Who else knows?! This isn't just some secret that you can go around spreading!"

"No, it's just me and the—" Suddenly he scrunched up his face as if in pain. "pack that knows." he finished with an exasperated sigh.

"The pack? What the fuck is a pack?" I asked.

He didn't reply. "Embry, what's going on with you?"

"I can't tell you," he said. "Just—please...think about it. You can't trust them..."

He started walking away. I reached out and grabbed him. "Embry!"

He flung his arm and threw me to the ground and started running towards the woods. It took me a second to pull myself back together. I got up and went to my truck. I sped (as fast as my truck would let me) back towards Forks and my house. I suppressed my anger long enough to appease Steven with some story about this elaborate sleepover/party that Alice and the rest of the Cullens had planned. Then i made it upstairs and found Jasper and Alice waiting in my room. She seemed startled when i walked into the room.

"I _didn't _see that coming," she muttered.

I was still a bit angry, so I ignored them both and went to the bed and stuffed my face in a pillow.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked, rushing to my side.

"Stupid Quileutes..." I mumbled through the pillow.

"What happened?" Alice asked from my desk chair. Her voice sounded distant, and distracted.

"Not important," I said, removing my face from the pillow. "What's up with you two?"

"You disappeared." Jasper said.

"Huh?"

"While we were coming back, your future sort-of went blank." Alice started. "So I panicked and called Jasper to see if something had gone wrong, but he said that you were going to La Push. That's when he panicked. Then it took me, Carlisle, and Esme to convince him not to go to La Push and find you...Then you showed up here..."

"I don't understand," I said. "How did I disappear?"

"I don't know." she said thoughtfully. "But since you're _clearly_ among the living, im guessing it doesn't mean you're dead...and if you were—"

"Alice was just about to go talk to Carlisle about it..." Jasper interrupted.

She rolled her eyes, then jumped gracefully out of the open window.

"Now, want to tell me what happened with Embry?" He asked.

"Not really...It's nothing to worry about." I told him. I didn't want him to know that someone knew their secret, that might only make them leave. And i couldn't risk them leaving.

"Okay," he said, snuggling closer to me in the bed.

I laid there caused this change? How did Embry and his _pack _find out about the Cullens? What the hell did he mean by 'pack'?

After a while, i fell asleep. I think Jasper must have felt my worry, and calmed me down at some point, but i was asleep nonetheless.

Then I started to dream...

I opened my eyes, and took in my surroundings. The sun was setting behind the trees, I was in the forest. It reminded me vaguely of somewhere I had once gone, and if I didn't feel the sudden sense of something lurking in the shadows, I would have thought it quite beautiful. I could hear distant waves telling me that a beach was nearby. If I could get out of the forest, I would be able to see the sun and the beach. I started walking towards the sound of the waves. Then, I felt someone tug on my hand. It was Embry, pulling me back into the dark forest.

"Embry? Where are you taking me?" I asked, he looked frightened. "Wher-I want to get out of here! Let go!" I told him.

He turned and looked me directly in the eyes. He took both of his hands and placed them on each side of my face. "You're safe in the forest," he told me as if it were of extreme importance. "You have to run."

"This way Devin!!" I heard a frantic Angela yell from the depths of the dark and foreboding forest.

"Why?! Let me go Embry!" I said pulling with all my strength.

Embry let go of my hand, and fell to the ground shaking from head to toe.

"Embry? Embry!" I screamed. But he wasn't there. In his place was a dark brown wolf with brown eyes. He was facing the shore, the light, growling as the hair on his back stood up. He let out a vicious snarl, and bared ferocious fang-like teeth.

"Run Devin!" Angela screamed again from behind me. I didn't turn. The sun seemed to be getting closer…growing brighter and brighter.

I saw Jasper emerge fro the trees, his skin glowing faintly. He looked at me sinisterly, his eyes black and ravenous. He smirked wickedly, then raised his hand and motioned with one finger for me to come closer. The wolf next to me let out another air-ripping snarl.

It felt instinctive on my part to go near this angelically beautiful creature. With no hesitation, I took a step forward. He smiled, showing two sharp pointed teeth.

"Come here," he said innocently. "Trust me."

I took another step, his smooth voice reeling me in. It was too enticing to resist.

The wolf next to me launched itself in the air, aiming for Jasper's neck.

I woke with a start, causing Jasper to jump up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I looked out the window. It was starting to get dark. "It was just a dream." I told him as i started to get up.

I went downstairs and grabbed something to eat. Steven was at work, so Jasper sat and watched me eat, something I was just starting to get used to...

I suggested that he call Alice to see if they found any reason as to why my future disappeared so abruptly, but they said the only one who could tell them that was me, and I had no idea. So we decided not to worry about it for now.

I took Jasper upstairs, and like the horny teenager I am (and like the horny teenager I was making him), we started making out. It felt so good to not have to worry about going too far with him anymore. Now that he was sure he wouldn't lose control, we could do whatever we wanted.

After a while, we were both shirtless (and still kissing passionately) and Jasper just froze. I reluctantly stopped, to see what was wrong.

"That smell..." he said, frowning.

"What?" I asked, sniffing the air.

"There's someone outside your window...that stinks..." he said. Just then I heard a loud screech as someone raked their nails across my window.

I crossed the room and looked out my window. I saw a dark figure perched atop the tree in the front of the house. The weight of the dark figure was making the tree bend towards my window.

I opened the window to get a better look.

"Devin!" I heard Embry's familiar voice call.

"Embry?!"

"Yes, now get out of the way!" he said. I took a few steps back, and bumped into Jasper who had moved from the bed in order to get a better view.

Then he proceeded to jump from the tree, through my window, and into my room with grace that didn't equal that of the cullens, but was still surprising nonetheless. He stood up and brushed himself off, this time only wearing a pair of cut-off jeans.

"What are you doing here?!" I asked.

"I came here to talk...and to apologize..." he said shyly.

"Apology accepted," I said, pushing his chest back towards the window. "now GO."

His skin was hot to the touch and he didn't move an inch, even though I was pushing with all my strength.

"So this is Embry..." I heard Jasper mumble from behind me.

"Yes, now help me push him back through the window." I told him.

"Why do I have to leave?" he asked. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes, you were, now leave." I said, pushing harder against his rock-hard chest. "Jasper? Help?"

"I'd rather not..." he said. "...he stinks..."

"Oh, so _I'm_ the one who stinks..." Embry said, glaring at Jasper.

"Yes, you smell like dog. What _are _you? Your heart is beating too fast..."

"I'm your worst nightmare..." he said with a snarl.

I gave up on pushing Embry out of the window and focused on figuring out what was going on.

"What, Embry?" I said.

"That's what I was trying to tell you. I _can't_ tell you."

"Can't tell me what?" I asked.

"What's going on!" he said.

"Then how am I supposed to figure it out?"

"I can't tell you, so I guess you'll have to guess...." he said.

"Okay, it would help if I knew what I was guessing..."

"Well, let's just say me and your bloodsucker boyfriend aren't so different..."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "You're not a vampire."

"Exactly. I'm the opposite. Hurry up, I can only be near him for so long..."

"What does he mean, the opposite?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know..."

"Remember when I told you those stories about the Quileutes and what they descended from?" he asked.

"What? Wolves?"

"Exactly." he said plainly.

"So, you're a wolf?" I asked.

I heard Jasper stop breathing behind me. I turned to face him. His face held the same glare I saw that first day at lunch.

"Werewolf..." he muttered.

* * *

A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter? Did I go too far? Not far enough? Feedback is always welcome. Feel free to PM me.

Also, you can check out the new LJ site for Obsessed: .com/


	16. Werewolf?

A/N: Hello! I'm back with a new chapter for you my loves! Hope you're not too mad at me! Well time to cut the crap and get to the story right? Welllll Heeeeeere we go!

* * *

**Part 2**

"Werewolf?" I questioned. "Like turns into a wolf every full moon?"

"Not exactly," Embry said, stepping out of the way as I made my way over to the window to check for a full moon. Jasper never left my side and also never took his eyes off Embry.

It was a new moon. "What do you mean not exactly?" I asked.

"We don't need the moon to transform into our wolf form." He said.

"We? Is this what Sam's "gang" is? A pack?"

"I remember hearing something about some encounters with werewolves in Europe…apparently we drove them to near extinction…" Jasper muttered.

Embry glared, but ignored his comment. "Yes, werewolves are designed to control the vampire population. The more vampires there are, the more werewolves there are."

"Hmm. I need to go talk to Carlisle about this." Jasper said.

"Does Devin have to go?" Embry asked, rolling his eyes.

"Only if he chooses," he said with a frown.

I took a brief glance at Embry, "I'm coming," I decided. I could tell he was relieved even though he tried not to show it.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Embry asked.

"Go away?" Jasper suggested.

"Jasper! He's my friend." I whisper-yelled.

"Sorry, I'll keep my comments to myself" he replied.

"Embry, I'll see you tomorrow, I promise, okay?" I said, as Jasper helped me climb onto his back.

"Okay…" he said dully.

Jasper jumped from the window, and landed lightly on the ground of my front lawn. I dismounted, and then made my way to the car. I quickly got into the passenger seat, and we sped off into the night.

"What do you think this means?" I asked.

"It can only mean one thing…that there are more vampires around than we know about."

I couldn't think of anything to say. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It sort of comes with the territory right? I fell in love with a vampire, so how could I expect our lives to be normal?

We pulled up to the Cullen mansion, and I'm guessing that Alice saw us coming because before we could get to the door, she opened it.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"We're not sure yet," I replied.

"I'll go get everyone." She said before disappearing up the stairs. I assume she saw a family meeting in our future. We walked to the living room where I took a seat on the couch. Jasper started pacing back and forth in front of me. My eyes followed him across the room and I started to feel nervous.

"Jasper, calm down." I told him, trying to keep my emotions separate from his.

"I can't." he told me. "You don't understand."

"Come sit down," I told him, touching the seat beside me. He sat down beside me, and I took his hand in an effort to calm him down.

Seconds later, the rest of the Cullens entered the room. They all took their positions next to their mate around the room, looking flawless like characters from a movie.

I could feel their eyes on us, waiting, so I decided to start.

"There's a Quileute legend that says that the Quileute descended from wolves, and now my friend is a werewolf because he says there are more vampires in the area." I said.

"Wait, slow down." Alice said.

"You're friends with a werewolf?" Emmet asked with a smile.

"Great…" Rosalie muttered.

Carlisle cleared his throat. Everyone turned their attention to him.

"There is a Quileute legend…and since most of their legends are based on truth, so is this one…" He started. "There was a couple by the name of Mikhail and Darya that were living on the outskirts of Forks. One day, Mikhail went hunting and ended up feeding on the women of the Quileute reservation. He soon became addicted and fed there frequently. He didn't know about the shape shifters, and one night, as he was feeding on two girls he that he had taken in their sleep, three massive beasts came running through the forest. He snapped the girls' necks and began to fight the beasts. He quickly fought off one, but the other two started using strategy. He got his hands on one of them and the other one attacked, ripping off his head. Then the wolf continued to dismember Mikhail until he was completely incapacitated. He brought the pieces back to the Quileute Elders, and they set fire to the remains.

"When Mikhail didn't return from his hunting trip, Darya went to investigate. She all but massacred the entire village. Her bloodlust sent her into a frenzy and she even swam out into the ocean, killing people trying to escape on a boat. Then she saw a great wolf on the shore and went to him. 'Where is Mikhail,' she asked, but she was speaking Russian, so he didn't understand her. They fought, and he was quickly defeated. His father, the leader of the tribe, though old, screamed and then shifted into a great ancient wolf.

"As they fought, his wife—who had just seen her son die before her—grabbed a knife, and ran at Darya. Darya smiled at the futile attempt, but she was caught off guard when the wife fell to the ground and plunged the knife into her own heart. Darya couldn't resist the fresh blood and while she was distracted, the wolf ripped off her head.

"Seeing their brother and mother die, his two youngest sons—who they thought were too young to transform—suddenly, filled with rage, transformed, and finished Darya with their father.

"After that, it is said that the elder went into the forest and never changed back into his human state. What I think Devin is saying, is that the youth of the Quileute reservation are starting to transform again. There were three that were in place when we came to Forks, and since more are starting to change, it must mean there are more vampires in the area…"

The room was silent.

"What does this mean?" Esme said.

"It means we have to be on our guard. If Alice hasn't seen anything, then they're probably not going to bother us, but if they're feeding in the area, that could provide some other problems."

"Edward and I will go check on any disappearances in the area," Alice said, rising from one of the couches.

Jasper turned to me. "There's nothing to worry about. Don't be afraid." I then became aware of the cold feeling of fear in my chest and tried to keep it under control. I admit I was afraid. After James, I didn't want to see another uncivilized vampire in my life.

"I'm fine," I told him. "You worry too much" I joked.

"I think I have good reason to worry," he said with a smile. "We need to get you back home."

"Why can't I stay here? Your house is so much nicer."

"What about your dad?" he asked.

"Oh…Dad…" I sighed. We went back to the car and he drove me home, and then we jumped back through the window to my room. He stayed with me until I fell asleep and thankfully it went uninterrupted.

* * *

I heard a beep, followed by a swoosh and saw Jasper fly across the room and grab my phone.

"What are you doing? I asked.

"Silencing your phone." He said.

"Who's calling?" I yawned.

His eyes shifted to the side for a split second. "Embry," he said. "He won't stop calling…"

"Oh! It's because I told him I would see him today!" I said, rushing to get out of bed.

"Are you sure?" he asked, worried. "Carlisle said that young werewolves can be dangerous."

"I'll be fine. Embry wouldn't hurt me," I assured him.

Jasper was silent. That bothered me, but I was in a rush, so I didn't think much of it. I quickly went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, quickly threw some clothes on, gave Jasper a kiss, and went out to my car.

I pulled out my cell-phone and dialed Embry's number.

"Hello?" I heard a slightly distressed sounding woman answer.

"Hi Ms. Call, Is Embry there?" I asked.

"He just left; can I take a message?"

"No, that's okay, thank you." I said, ending the call.

I started the car, and pulled out of the driveway. Embry was probably somewhere running around the forest, or whatever it is that werewolves do out there. I'd just have to go to La Push and hope I found him. He'd probably be able to find me before I found him anyway.

I crossed the invisible line, separating La Push from the vampiric world and entered the reservation, seeing it in a whole new light.

This was the setting of legendary tales, handed down through generations. It almost made the reservation seem archaic.

I went to the beach first, thinking about how he found me the last time I was here. Within minutes of me leaving my car, Embry was walking up to me from down the beach. This time, two other guys were with him. I didn't recognize them, but they looked familiar. It was probably because they both had the same buzz cut hair that all the members of the "cult" were supposed to have.

"Hey Embry…" I said as they approached.

"Hey," he said quickly to me before turning to the other two. "See? I told you it was okay," he whispered. One guy nodded to the other one, and they left towards the forest.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"That was Paul and Jared." He said, sounding annoyed.

"Why did they have to come?" I asked.

"A: You smell like vampire, and B: they don't trust you,"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," he said. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He led me across the street and into the forest. We didn't go in that far, but after a while I couldn't see the street anymore.

"Wait right here," he told me, before walking off into the forest.

I stood there for a second, waiting, but I started to get impatient.

"Where are you going?" I yelled.

"Just wait," he yelled back. He didn't sound that far away, so I calmed down a bit.

Then I heard a big sort-of whooshing sound. A few seconds later a big wolf came towards me from the forest. It was massive, and had long grey fur with asymmetrical black spots on its back.

I was in a state of shock. The beast that I assumed to be my friend stared cautiously at me. The look in his eyes reminded me of the same look Jasper gave me when he expected me to run away from him in fear.

I put on a brave face, and then called out to him. "I hang with vampires, and you think I'm afraid of you?"

He turned his head to the side, looking just like a dog, and let out a great howl. He turned around and ran back into the forest. I heard another loud whoosh, then a few seconds later Embry came running out of the forest in his sweat pants, struggling to put his shirt on.

"So? What do you think?" he asked.

"That's amazing?!" I said. "You're a big…wolfy thing!"

"That's me, the big wolfy thing." He laughed.

We started walking back towards the road. "So, how does this all work?" I asked him.

"Well, when we reach "manhood", we start phasing."

"What's it like?" I asked.

"It's like letting your most animalistic instincts take over. I could smell your fear as I walked up to you. I can hear things from a mile away, and feel—"he said, grabbing my hand and pulling it towards his face.

It was weird…Jasper was ice cold, but Embry was…warm. I let my hand linger for a second on his face before bringing it back to my side.

"So why haven't you cut your hair yet?"

"Well, we're supposed to cut our hair to make it easier as a wolf. If you have long hair normally, your wolf form will have long fur too. They can't make you if you don't want to, and I'd like to see them try to get Jacob to cut his hair when he starts phasing," he said with a laugh. By this time, we were back walking on the beach.

"So he hasn't yet?" I asked.

"Nope, Quil has, but he still hasn't"

"Wow, poor guy," I said, sympathizing with lonely Jacob.

"Don't worry, it won't be too much longer, and maybe if we make him mad enough, it'll start early."

"So, you change when you're mad?" I asked, thinking back to the story that Carlisle told us.

"Yep, it's either that, or puberty. It's really hard to do it without being angry."

"Hmm…"

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, this is just a lot to take in." I told him.

"Yeah, I know…" he said. We made it to some driftwood logs and sat down. "It kind of sucks though…"

"What does?" I asked.

"Being a werewolf, or whatever." He said. "There's no privacy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when we're in our wolf form we can hear each others thoughts."

"What?!" Things just kept getting weirder and weirder… "Wait, so you can't read my mind can you?"

"No, it's just between the pack. But now we know way more than we ever wanted to know about each other."

"That must suck…" I told him. "That's just how I feel around Edward. Only, he can read anyone's mind."

"Those bloodsuckers have powers?!" he yelled.

"Embry! They have names! And now I guess I shouldn't have told you that…"

"…yeah, you probably shouldn't have…now I have to tell Sam."

"What?! No! Don't'!"

"I have to, it's not like I can stop myself from thinking about it, and if he asks, I'll have to tell him.."

"Why? Can't you lie? For me?"

"He's my alpha. When he tells us to do something, or not to do something…when he really means it, well, we can't just ignore him. He said with a frown.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, he told me not to tell you. That's why I had to get you to guess."

"Will he be mad that I know?" I asked.

"Probably.." he said with a frown. "But since you told me about the mind-reading bloodsucker, he won't be as mad."

I sighed.

"Oh! Sorry…"

"It's whatever…well…I'm gonna go now…" I told him. I started walking back to my truck, not caring whether he was following me or not. I'm sure jasper could control his comments, but I knew Embry couldn't.

When I got back to my truck, I called Jasper.

"Hello? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes, everything is fine. I was calling to tell you I'm on my way back. Can I come over?" I asked.

"Sure, want me to come get you?" he asked.

"No, I'll drive," I told him.

"Alright, see you soon."

"Kay," I said, closing the phone.

As I drove back to Forks I thought about how I was going to deal with having both Jasper and Embry in my life… I mean Jasper wouldn't say so, but he would be worried, and Embry would continue to voice his hate for vampires…they are his natural enemy though…but maybe if he realized that the Cullens aren't his enemy and the wild vampires are….maybe….

I drove down the long hidden driveway to the Cullen Mansion. Jasper met me at the door, and followed me as I walked straight to Alice's room. She was laying on her black bed, staring intently at a silver mac book.

"Any news?" I asked.

"There have been a few disappearances in Seattle recently, but nothing significant enough to be worried about.." she said, looking up from her laptop.

"Okay…" I replied. Maybe it was just another group of nomads like…I shuddered at the thought…James….Victoria….I didn't even want to think about it…besides, I could feel Jasper's morphine-like influence veiling my thoughts and worries. I turned around and looked him in the eyes, searching for any hint of insecurity, or fallacy. He stared into my eyes for a second, before giving me a questioning look.

"Nothing," I said. "Let's go."

* * *

A/N: Ah, feels nice to finally put this out. Hope you enjoyed it! Also, i just realized that Jacob and Edward start with the same letters that Jasper and Embry do...weird because i didn't do that on purpose lol.

Follow me on twitter! .com/kevyncito and you'll probably see me tweeting about the story every once in a while. You can even bug me to update! lol.

Don't forget to review!

~ Kevyn


	17. Update?

*taps mic* Hello? Is anyone there?

I miss writing fanfiction. Unfortunately, I feel as though this story cannot be resurrected. It's been far too long and I've changed so much since writing this. I feel as though I'd need to start from scratch.

I also don't know how I feel about staying in the Twilight universe.

Hmm. Basically, I just want to know if anyone would be interested if I were to write a fanfiction for another fandom and if you had any ideas/thoughts!

-Kevyncito


End file.
